Rocks & Minerals Flashcards
Arrangement of minerals within rocks
into flat or wavy parallel bands;
characteristic of metamorphic rocks.
Foliation
Igneous rock that forms as magma cools
below Earth’s surface.
Intrusive
Property of a mineral that describes the
way in which light reflects from its
surface.
Luster
A solid substance in which the atoms are
arranged in an orderly, repeating, 3-D
pattern.
Crystal
Rock formed as heat or pressure causes
existing rock to change in structure,
texture, or mineral composition.
Metamorphic Rock
Tendency of a mineral to glow when
exposed to UV light.
Fluorescence
Tendency to break along flat surfaces.
Cleavage
Igneous rock that forms as lava cools on
Earth’s surface.
Extrusive
Tendency of a mineral to break into
rough, irregular pieces.
Fracture
Rock that forms as molten rock cools and
becomes solid.
Igneous
The color of a mineral when it is scraped
across a white plate and ground into a
powder.
What are the 4 characteristics all minerals
share?
Streak
(1) Formed in Nature
(2) Solid
(3) Have definite chemical
composition
(4) Crystal Structure
Rocks that form as sediments are pressed or
cemented together.
Additional Quiz Topics:
* Know how to read Moh’s scale
of hardness.
For example:
If you have a mineral sample that
can be scratched with your fingernail,
what mineral(s) from the chart
could it be?
* Know how to interpret a Rock Cycle Diagram.
Sedimentary