Mineral Formation and Identification

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minerals

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mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition

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Mineral characteristics

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natural occurring, homogenous comp, crystal solid, definable chemical comp, inorganic

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How do minerals form? Options: solidification of a melt, precipitation from liquid solution, biomineralization, precipitation from gas

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solidification of a melt, precipitation from liquid solution, biomineralization, precipitation from gas

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What properties are used to ID minerals?

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4,000 different minerals have been identified by characteristics of their physical property.

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Hardness

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measure of the ability of a mineral resist scratch

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density or specific gravity

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density of the mineral or aggregate of many well-formed crystals that grew together as a group

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color

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result in mineral reacts with lights or portion of spectrum that does not asorb

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Streak

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color of the powered form

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cleavage

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breaks to form distinctive planar surface along weak internal planes

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luster

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way a mineral surface reflects light and nonmetalic (silky,glassy,satiny,resinous,pearly and earthy)