Rocks and Minerals

Front

What is a rock?

Back

A rock is a solid material made up of one or more minerals or mineraloids.

Front

What is a mineral?

Back

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

Front

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

Back

Rocks are made of one or more minerals, while minerals are pure substances with specific chemical formulas.

Front

What is luster in minerals?

Back

Luster describes how light reflects off the surface of a mineral, indicating whether it is shiny, dull, or metallic.

Front

What does the term 'streak' mean in geology?

Back

Streak is the color of the powder left when a mineral is scratched on a ceramic plate.

Front

What is hardness in relation to rocks and minerals?

Back

Hardness measures how resistant a mineral is to being scratched, often tested using the Mohs scale.

Front

What is the Mohs scale?

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

Front

What is color in minerals?

Back

Color refers to the appearance of a mineral, which can vary widely and is often not a reliable identifier.

Front

What is cleavage in minerals?

Back

Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat, even surfaces.

Front

What is a fossil?

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A fossil is the preserved remains or traces of a once-living organism, often found in sedimentary rocks.