Name: _____KEY_________ Date: _________________________________ Pr. __________
Minerals Study Guide Chapter 3 Section 1
Objectives: After reading this section and completing the study guide you should be able to:
1) Define the term, mineral.
2) Explain how minerals are identified.
First, please read pages 66-74. Then, answer the questions or complete the sentences below.
1. A mineral is a naturally_______ occurring, __inorganic______ solid that has a __crystal__
structure and a __definite___ chemical composition.
2. In order to be considered a mineral, does it need to be naturally occurring? _yes____
3. Inorganic__ means that the mineral _cannot___ form from materials that were once part of a
_living__ thing.
4. Is coal considered to be a mineral? Why or why not? _No, it comes from the remains of
plants._________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. _Crystal_____ structure means that the particles__ of a mineral line up in a _pattern____ that
repeats over and over again.
6. A _crystal_____ has _flat____ sides (faces) that meet at sharp __edges
____ and __corners
___________.
**7. When a mineral always contains certain elements in definite proportions, it means the
mineral has a definite _____chemical composition_________________.
8. Are almost all minerals compounds? _yes___
9. Name three pure, crystalline elements.
1) ______copper________
2) _______silver_________
3) _____gold____
Identifying Minerals pg. 68-74
1. What are the 8 properties which can be used to identify minerals?
1) ___color ________
5) ____hardness_______________
2) ____streak_____
6) ____crystal structure_______
3) ______luster____
7) ___cleavage and fracture___
4) ___density_____
8) ___special properties________
2. STREAK TEST: The _streak______ of a mineral is the ___color______ of its powder. You can observe
a streak by ___rubbing____________ a mineral against a piece of unglazed porcelain __tile___.
3. __Luster___ is used to describe how ____light___ is ____reflected_______ from a mineral’s surface.
4. Name the 6 “lusters” of minerals:
1) ___metallic___________ 2) ___glassy________ 3) ___waxy, greasy, or pearly________
4) ___submetallic/ dull 5) ___silky_______________ 6) _____earthy ________________
5. According to Mohs hardness scale, ____hardness_________ can be determined by a
____scratch test ______. A mineral ____can scratch_______ any mineral _____softer________ than itself,
but __can be scratched_____________________ by any mineral that is ______harder_____________. For
example, to determine the hardness of ___azurite_________, a mineral not on the Moh’s scale, you
could try to scratch it with __talc________, ___gypsum____________, or _____calcite_________. But
__none_______ of these minerals __scratch_____ azurite. Apatite, rated _5___ on the scale,
__________does scratch_______________ azurite. Therefore, azurite’s hardness is about ___4________.
6. Geologists classify crystal systems into ____6_____ groups based on the ___number__________ and
___angle_______ of the crystal faces.
7. Name the 6 crystal systems.
1) ___cubic_____________
2) ________hexagonal_________
3) ______tetragonal_________
4) ____orthorhombic________
5) ______monoclinic__________
6) _______triclinic_____________
8. ___cleavage_____ means that a mineral ____splits easily____________ along flat surfaces.
9. ___fracture__________ describes how a mineral looks when it ___breaks apart______ in an
____irregular_______ way.
10. Name the 4 special properties of minerals and give a description of each.
1) __fluorescence_______ -- the mineral __glows___ under ultraviolet (UV) light
2) ___magnetism_________--the mineral attracts ____iron________
3) ___optical__________--the mineral __bends______ light
4) ____reactivity_________--the mineral reacts ___chemically____
EXTRA properties we discussed in class:
5) Radioactivity= the mineral produces its own energy
6) Electrical properties= the mineral conducts electricity
Name:________________________________________ Date:____________________________ Pr. ____________________
How Minerals Form Chapter 3 Section 2
Objectives: After reading this section and completing this study guide, you should be able to:
1) Explain how minerals form from magma and lava
2) Explain how minerals form from water and solutions
Minerals from Magma and Lava
1) Magma is molten material from ___inside_____ Earth that hardens to form ___rock________.
2) Lava is __magma_____ that reaches the ___surface________. Lava also forms ____rock________
when it cools and hardens.
3) ____Minerals__________ form as hot ___magma_________ cools inside Earth, or as ___lava_______
hardens on the surface. When these liquids __cool________ to a solid state, they form
___crystals_____________.
Minerals from Solutions
4) A solution is a _____mixture_________ in which one substance is ___dissolved_______ in another.
5) Give an example of a solution: ______sugar water, iced tea mix, etc._____________________________
6) Some minerals form when solutions ____evaporate_________________. When _______water_______
__evaporates__ from a solution, it leaves behind the dissolved crystals (minerals). Example:
When the water evaporates out of a salt water solution, _____pure salt___ will be left behind.
7) Minerals can also be formed from ____hot water solutions________________________.
___Magma______ deep underground can heat water to a high temperature, sometimes causing
elements to _____dissolve___________. When the solution ____cools______, it causes the elements to
leave the solution and ____crystallize___________.