Geos 250 Mineralogy – Exam 1 Study Guide
I. For the following minerals: know their structural type reference structure or
mineral group to which they belong along with their approximate compositions or
defining elements or in the case of polymorphs, their structural & environmental
differences:
Aegerine
Alabandite
Amphiboles (monoclinic ones)
Aragonite
Augite
Barite
Beryl
Calcite
Carbon minerals:
Cassiterite
Cat’s Eye
Cerrusite
Chromite
Chrysoberyl
Copper
Corundum
Cristobalite
Diamond
Diopside
Enstatite
Ferrosilite
Fluorite
Franklinite
Galena
Galaxite
Garnet group:
Germanium
Gold
Graphite
Halite
Hedenbergite
Hercynite
Hypersthene
Ice
Jadeite
Kamacite
Magnesiochromite
Magnetite
Native metals:
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Periclase
Perovskite
Platinum
Pyrrhotite
Quartz
Rhodochrosite
Rhodonite
Rutile
Silica Minerals:
Silicon
Silver
Sphalerite
Spinel group: AB2O4: magnetite, spinel, hercynite…
Spodumene
Strontianite
Sulfur
Sylvite
Taenite
Tiger’s eye
Troilite
Tridymite
Uraninite
Witherite
Wollastonite
II. Know the definitions and correct useage or application of the following terms:
Acicular
Alkaline earth elents
Alloy
Asterism
Atomic size versus atomic number
Banded
Bladed
Bond Length
Bond Strength
Botryoidal
Brittle
Cation size versus atom’s
Carbonate
Chatoyancy
Coordination Number
Coordination Polyhedron/a
Covalent
Classification (Dana & Stunz)
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Cleavage
Conduction band electrons
Coulomb forces
Covalent
Crystal field energy
Crystallinity
Crystal System
Cubic (various meanings: packing, coordination, symmetry, space groups)
Cuboctahedral
d-block metals
Density
Dodecahedron
Ductile
Economic Geology
Electron
Electronegativity
Electron energy levels
Electron Orbitals
Extraction
f-block metals
Ferromagnetic
Fibrous
Fluids
Fluorescence
Goldschmidt’s Rules
Globular
Granular
Hardness
Habit and where or how formed
Hexagonal (various, closest packing, symmetry)
Hydrogen bond
Insulator
Interstice
Ionic Bond
Ionic Radius & dependence on coordination & partners
Iridescence
Isometric
Isostructural
Labradorescence
Luminescence
Luster
Madelung constant/energy
Malleable
Mammilary
Massive
Melting Point
3
Metal
Metallic bonding
Molecular radicals
Monoclinic
Octahedral
Opalescence
Order
Orientation
Orthorhombic
Oxide
Paragenesis
Parsimony
Pauling’s Rules
Peizoelectricity
Phosphate
Phosphorescence
Pedion
Pinacoid
Polyhedra/Polyhedral unit
Polymorph/Polymorphism
Prism face
Prismatic
Pyramid
Radiating
Radiation
Radius ratio
Refining
Rhombohedron
Salt
Scalenohedron
Sectile
Semi-conductors
Solid Solution
Soluble
Space groups
Stalactitic
Sulphate
Sulphide
Symmetry Elements
Tabular
Tetragonal
Tetrahedral
Threshhold energy
Triclinic
Twinning
Unit cell
4
Valence
Valence electrons
Van der Waal’s Bond
III. Concepts and Applications
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
6.)
7.)
8.)
9.)
Fields of mineral science and applications (Ch1)
Bond types and influence on phys props. With mineral examples.
Pauling’s Rules and examples (Ch 4)
Crystal systems, basis, symmetry and representative minerals
Polymorphysm, underlying structural cause and response to environmental
conditions with mineral examples.
Systematic trends of fundamental chemical, atomic, ionic properties on periodic
table.
Trends in bond strength, length and resultant variability in physical properties for
representative binary ionic compounds.
Radius ratio versus coordination polyhedra.
Electrostatic valency principle and bond strength for isodesmic and anisodesmic
ionic compounds.
IV. Problems and Vocabulary
1.) Any word in the book and power points covering chapters 1-6 and 13 is fair game for
a question, matching, multiple choice or directive in an essay.
2.) Dana and Stunz Classifications of minerals, basis and examples
3) 7 Crystal systems: Cubic, Trigonal/Rhombohedral, Hexagonal, Tetragonal,
Orthorhombic, Monoclinic, Triclinic and sample crystal forms, cleavage types and
example minerals.
4) History of minerals, mineral extraction and mineral science
5) Physical (macroscopic) optical properties, terms and origins:
Asterism
Chatoyancy
Diaphaneity
Fluorescence
Iridescence
Labradorescence
Luminescence
Lustre
Opacity
Opalescence
6.) Radius ratio and Coordination Number
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7) Crystal shape/cleavage/coordination geometry names, angles and systems:
Cube, octahedron, tetrahedron, cuboctahedron, tetrahexahedron, prism pinacoid, pedion
8) Forms & Habits and environmental conditions of formation: acicular, botryoidal,
colloform, dendritic, radial etc.
9) Meaning and variation of physical properties among isostructural mineral series with
varying ionic radii: density, hardness, melting point, etc.
10) Chemistry for Mineralogy: atomic theory, bond types: (covalent, ionic, metallic, vander-waals, hydrogen), coulombs law, orbitals, atoms, ions, isotopes, atomic number,
Chemical terms: Borate, Carbonate, Oxide, Hydroxide, Phosphate, Silicate, Sulfate,
Sulfide, Polyhedra, Radicals
11) Polymorphism cause and significance: e.g. why 2 or more structures for C, CaCO3 ?
12) Significance of Mineral science studies to planetary interiors, geological processes,
sedimentary cementation, metamorphic recrystallization, igneous melting and
crystallization, geothermometry, geobarometry, radiometric dating, core and lower
mantle properties…
13) Applications of mineral studies to high tech applications: piezocrystals,
semiconductors, transistors, nanocrystals, Li Batteries, medicine…
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