Minerals Practice Flashcard

Front

What is cleavage in minerals?

Back

Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat, even surfaces. It is a key property used to identify minerals.

Front

What is the specific chemical composition of minerals?

Back

Minerals have a specific chemical composition, meaning they are made up of a definite arrangement of atoms in a fixed ratio.

Front

What is the Mohs scale of hardness?

Back

The Mohs scale is a scale from 1 to 10 used to measure the hardness of minerals, with talc being the softest (1) and diamond being the hardest (10).

Front

What is the hardness of Calcite on the Mohs scale?

Back

Calcite has a hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale.

Front

Name one of the eight most common elements found in minerals.

Back

Silicon is one of the eight most common elements found in minerals.

Front

What is the difference between luster and color in minerals?

Back

Luster refers to how a mineral reflects light, while color is the appearance of the mineral itself. Luster can vary even within the same mineral.

Front

What mineral is known for its three planes of cleavage?

Back

Calcite is known for having three planes of cleavage, none of which are perpendicular to each other.

Front

What is the significance of density in mineral identification?

Back

Density helps in identifying minerals as it is the mass per unit volume, which can vary significantly between different minerals.

Front

What is the role of streak in mineral identification?

Back

Streak is the color of the powder left when a mineral is scraped across a porcelain plate, which can help identify the mineral.

Front

What is the term for minerals that form from the cooling of magma?

Back

Igneous minerals form from the cooling of magma.