Chapter 4 - minerals
Section 1 - Properties of Minerals
mineral - a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite
chemical composition.
inorganic - not formed from living things
crystal - a solid in which the atoms are arranged in
a pattern that repeats again and again
streak - the color of a mineral's powder
luster - how a mineral reflects light
Moh’s hardness scale - a scale ranking ten minerals from softest to hardest
cleavage - a mineral’s ability to split easily along flat surfaces
fracture - the way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way.
section 2 - How Minerals Form
geode - a hard rock with crystals inside
crystallization - the process by which atoms are arranged to form a material with a
crystal
structure
solution - a mixture in which one substance is dissolved in another
vein - a narrow deposit of a mineral that is sharply different from the surrounding rock
section 3 - Using Mineral Resources
gemstone - a hard, colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster and is valued for
its
appearance
ore - a rock that contains a metal
smelting - when ore is melted to separate out useful elements.
alloy - a solid mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal
Chapter 5 - Rocks
Section 1 - Classifying Rocks
granite - the most common intrusive igneous rock
rock-forming minerals - one of the common minerals that make up most of the rocks
of Earth’s crust
basalt - the most common extrusive igneous rock
grains - the particles of minerals or other rocks that give a rock its texture
texture -the look and feel of a rock’s surface
igneous rock - a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or
below the surface.
sedimentary rock - a type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the
remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together
metamorphic rock - a type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed
by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions.
(examples: slate, marble, quartzite)
Section 2 - Igneous Rock
extrusive rock - igneous rock that forms from lava on the Earth's surface
intrusive rock - igneous rock that forms when magma hardens beneath Earth's surface.
section 3 - Sedimentary Rock
sediment - small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or organisms
erosion - the destructive process in which water or wind loosens and carries away
fragments of rock
deposition - the process by which sediment settles out of the water or wind that is
carrying it
compaction - the process that presses sediment together
cementation - the process by which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue particles of
sediment
together into one mass
clastic rock - sedimentary rock that forms when rock fragments are squeezed together
under high pressure
organic rock - sedimentary rock that forms from remains of organisms deposited in thick
layers
chemical rock - sedimentary rock that forms when minerals crystallize from a solution
section 4 Rocks from Reefs
coral reef - A structure of calcite skeletons built up by coral animals in warm, shallow
ocean water.
Section 5 - Metamorphic Rocks
foliated - when metamorphic rocks have grains arranged in parallel layers or bands.
Section 6 - the rock cycle
rock cycle - A series of processes on the surface and inside the earth that slowly
changes rocks from one kind to another.