What Is a Mineral?

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What Is a Mineral?

Mineral Notes What is a Mineral? . Naturally-formed ______substance with a ______structure What do all minerals have in common? . Formed by ______processes on or inside Earth- no help from humans . Are ______- was never alive . Element or compound that has a ______chemical composition (makeup) . Have a ______- they have a definite volume and shape; orderly arrangement of atoms The Structure of Minerals . All minerals have a crystalline structure . Crystal- solid with ______arranged in an ______, repeating ______How do minerals form? . There are ______ways that crystals form:

o The cooling of hot, liquid rock called ______causes compounds to combine . Magma cools ______= crystals are ______. Magma cools ______= crystals are ______

o The ______of ______that has minerals dissolved in it

How are Minerals classified or grouped? . Minerals are defined by their ______. ______occur naturally in the Earth’s crust . About ______of the crust is made of only 8 of these elements . The most common minerals belong to the ______How do we identify Minerals? . We look at Physical Properties . These include:

o ______

o ______

o ______

o ______o ______Physical Properties of Minerals (can be used to identify the mineral) . Color

o Can be ______

o Many minerals will have a similar ______, but will have different ______

o Color and appearance are ______to distinguish minerals

. Luster

o Luster refers to the way a mineral ______

o Metallic = ______

o ______= dull, non-shiny surface, can include pearly, silky, and glassy . Streak

o The ______of the ______of the mineral

o The color of the streak ______be ______than the mineral

o Minerals must be ______than the streak plate

. Hardness

o How easily a mineral ______materials

o Mohs Hardness Scale

. Scale from 1 (______) to 10 (______) . Test by seeing if the mineral can scratch different objects (like human fingernail, copper, penny, glass, steel file) . Cleavage & Fracture

o The way the mineral ______

o ______—minerals break along ______, flat surfaces and every fragment has the same general ______

o ______—minerals that break at ______with rough or jagged edges

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