GeologyLesson 1 of 4 in the course Minerals

Minerals: Definition, Classification, Identification, and Geological Significance

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

This lesson introduces the meaning of mineral and explains how minerals differ from rocks and mineraloids. These distinctions are foundational to describing Earth's materials.

A mineral is broadly a naturally occurring solid with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and an ordered, usually crystalline, structure. Its chemical composition describes which elements are present and in what proportions; its structure describes how atoms are arranged.

All flashcards

Mineral
A naturally occurring solid with a fairly well-defined composition and an ordered structure.
Polymorph
One of multiple mineral forms with the same chemical composition but different crystal structures.
Mineraloid
A naturally occurring solid that lacks a well-defined crystalline structure.
Solid-solution series
A range of related compositions that share a basic crystal structure.
Mineral assemblage
The set of minerals present in a rock.

Quiz questions

  1. Which features distinguish a mineral species?Answer: Its chemical composition and crystal structure
  2. What makes a mineral-bearing material an ore?Answer: It contains valuable elements at concentrations that make extraction worthwhile.
  3. What does specific gravity compare?Answer: A mineral's density with the density of water
  4. Which two systems are widely used to classify minerals?Answer: Dana and Strunz
  5. Which silicate family has tetrahedra joined into three-dimensional frameworks?Answer: Tectosilicates

Based on the Wikipedia article Mineral, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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