Mineral Crystal Structure

What is a mineral?

• A mineral is the only object that has a density.
• A mineral is not naturally occurring. It only has a definite chemical composition.
• I don't know.
• A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure as well as a definite chemical composition.

What are some characteristics a mineral has?

• Cleavage, density, color
• Hardness, streak, color
• I don't know.
• Definite chemical composition, naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, crystal structure

What does naturally occurring mean?

• It means that it can't come from something once living.
• It means that it has a definite volume and shape. So, its particles are tightly packed together.
• I don't know.
• It means that the substance must occur in nature. So, it can't be created by humans.

What does inorganic mean?

• It means that a mineral can't come from something that was once living. 
• It means that it has a definite volume and shape. So, its particles are tightly packed together.
• I don't know.
• It means that the substance must occur in nature. So, it can't be created by people.

What is a solid?

• It means that a mineral will always contain certain elements in exact proportions.
• It means that it has a definite volume and shape. So, its particles ar tightly packed together and can't move easily.
• I don't know.
• It means that it has flat sides called faces that meet at sharp edges and corners.

What is a crystal structure?

• Crystal structure means that the particles that make a mineral line up in a pattern repeat over and over again which forms a crystal.
• Crystal structure is when flat sides called faces meet at sharp edges and corners.
• I don't know.
• Crystal structure means that a mineral will always contain certain elements in exact proportions.

What does it mean when a mineral has  definite chemical composition?

• It means that a mineral can't come from something that was once living.
• It means that it always contains specific elements in exact proportions.
• I don't know.
• It means that the substance must occur in nature. It can't be man-made.

What are some properties a mineral has?

• Naturally occurring, solid
• Definite chemical composition, luster, cleavage
• I don't know.
• Hardness, streak, luster, density, crystal systems, cleavage, fracture

What is hardness?

• Hardness is how hard a mineral is.
• Hardness is the color of a mineral's powder.
• I don't know.
• Hardness describes a mineral that splits evenly along flat surfaces.

What is color?

• It is the color of the mineral's powder.
• It is how hard a mineral is.
• I don't know.
• It is a physical property that is easy to observe.