Your Name ______________________________Period ______ Date __________
Chapter 5 Earth Science Word Study – Minerals of Earth's Crust
Directions: Study the following words by reading and rereading them each evening so
you will be prepared for the word study test each week. You may use one index card
to write as many words and definitions on as possible to use for the test. The card
must written in ink, be in your handwriting, and have your name, period, and chapter
recorded in the top, right corner with no obvious erasures or mark outs. Please number
all definitions. If all the criteria are met, you may use your index card during the test. It
will then be stapled to your test.
1.)
mineral - a natural, usually inorganic solid that has a characteristic chemical
composition, an orderly internal structure, and a characteristic set of physical
properties
2.)
silicate mineral -a mineral that contains a combination of silicon and oxygen
and that may also contain one or more metals
3.)
nonsilicate mineral - a mineral that does not contain compounds of silicon and
oxygen
4.)
crystal - a solid whose atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a regular,
repeating pattern
5.)
atom - the smallest unit of an element that maintains the chemical properties
of that element;
6.)
ion - an atom, radical, or molecule that has gained or lost one or more
electrons and has a negative or positive charge
7.)
molecule - a group of atoms held together by chemical forces; a molecule is
the smallest unit of matter that can exist by itself and retain all the
substance's chemical properties
8.)
element - a substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler
substances by chemical means; all atoms of an element have the same atomic
number; there are ninety naturally occurring elements of which all matter is
made of and all elements are made of atoms
9.)
atomic number - the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom
10.) silicon-oxygen tetrahedron - the basic unit of the structure of silicate
minerals; a silicon ion chemically bonded to and surrounded by four oxygen
ions
11.) mineralogist - a person who examines, analyzes, and classifies minerals
12.) streak - the color of a mineral in powder form
13.) luster - the way in which a mineral reflects light
14.) cleavage - in geology, the tendency of a mineral to split along specific planes
of weakness to form, smooth, flat surfaces
15.) fracture - in geology, a break in a rock, which results from stress, with or
without displacement, including cracks, joints, and faults; also the manner in
which a mineral breaks along either curved or irregular surfaces
16.) Mohs hardness scale - the standard scale against which the hardness of
minerals is rated
17.) density - the ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substance;
commonly expressed as grams per cubic centimeter for solids and as grams
per liter for gases
18.) hardness - the measure of a mineral's ability to resist scratching
19.) fluorescence - when a mineral contains white calcite it glows under an
ultraviolet light and often appears red
20.) phosphorescence - when a mineral continues to glow after being exposed to
ultraviolet light
21.) refraction - when light rays bend as they pass through different materials such
as when light rays bend when they pass from air through minerals
22.) magnetism - nonsilicate minerals such as iron exhibit magnetic qualities
23.) radioactivity - when unstable nuclei decay over time into stable nuclei by
releasing particles and energy