Minerals Vocabulary

a solid in which the atoms are arranged in a pattern that repeats again and again.

• Atom

• Molecule

• Gemstone

• Crystal

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

the way a mineral reflects light from its surface.

• Cleavage

• Streak

• Luster

• Flourescence

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

the color of a mineral’s powder.

• Color

• Resistance to scratch

• Fracture

• Streak

he property of a mineral in which the mineral glows under ultraviolet light.

• Ore

• Luster

• Flourescence

• Radioactive

a natural material whose concentration of economically valuable minerals is high enough for the material to be mined profitably.

• Miner

• Ore

• Gemstone

• Alloy

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

not formed from living things or the remains of living things.

• Organic

• Inorganic

• Mineral

• Carbon Sink

a mineral’s ability to split evenly along flat surfaces.

• Breakage

• Fracture

• Cleavage

• Calving

a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition

• inorganic process

• mineral

• streak

• luster

streak, hardness, luster, color

• inorganic process

• mineral

• 4 properties of minerals

• streak

the color of a mineral's powder

• Mohs hardness scale

• streak

• luster

• inorganic process