Mineral Vocabulary

A solid in which the atoms are arranged in repeating patterns.

• crystal

• rock

• water

• lava

A mineral property that describes how easily a mineral can be scratched; scale developed by Friedrich Mohs.

• streak

• luster

• hardness

When a solid crystallizes out of a solution, it is called a _____.

• fracture

• lava

• precipitate

An ore is a mineral that can be:

• mined for a profit

• crushed and sprinkled onto food

• melted easily

a naturally occurring, inorganic solid, with a specific chemical composition and a definite crystalline structure is called:

• a mineral

• a rock

• molten lava

Magma is different from lava because it refers to:

• molten rock below the surface

• molten rock above the surface

• solid rock anywhere in Earth's crust

If a mineral breaks unevenly with rough or jagged edges, it has:

• cleavage

• fracture

A student describes a mineral as being metallic. What is he/she describing?

• hardness

• luster

• streak

The color of a mineral's powder is called its:

• hardness

• streak

• luster

The most common mineral group, which contains silicon and oxygen is called the ____ group.

• carbonate

• sulfate

• silicate