Minerals

Front

What is luster in minerals?

Back

Luster refers to how light reflects off the surface of a mineral. It can be described using terms like dull, shiny, silky, waxy, pearly, and earthy.

Front

What are minerals the building blocks of?

Back

Minerals are the building blocks of rocks.

Front

What is the softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness scale?

Back

The softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness scale is Talc.

Front

What is the difference between cleavage and fracture in minerals?

Back

Cleavage is how a mineral splits evenly along specific planes, while fracture is how a mineral breaks unevenly.

Front

What is the Mohs Hardness scale?

Back

The Mohs Hardness scale is a scale that ranks minerals based on their hardness, from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).

Front

What is the hardest mineral on the Mohs Hardness scale?

Back

The hardest mineral on the Mohs Hardness scale is Diamond.

Front

What does the term 'streak' refer to in mineralogy?

Back

Streak refers to the color of the powder left when a mineral is scraped across a porcelain plate.

Front

What is the definition of a mineral?

Back

A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and a crystalline structure.

Front

What is the significance of a mineral's color?

Back

A mineral's color can help identify it, but it is not always reliable due to impurities.

Front

What is a crystal structure?

Back

A crystal structure is the orderly, repeating arrangement of atoms in a mineral.