Flashcards: Chemistry & Minerals
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Created by:
cdickerhoff on October 8, 2009
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Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 streak | the color of a mineral in its powered form |
| luster | how light is reflected from the surface |
| hardness | is the resistance of a mineral being strached |
| cleavage | a mineral to break, along flat, even surfaces |
| fracture | is the uneven breakage of a mineral |
| density | the ratio of an object's mass to its volume |
| sulfates | minerals that contain the element sulfur |
| halides | are minerals that contain a halogen ion plus one or more other elements |
| native elements | are minerals that exist in their pure form |
| oxides | are minerals that contain oxygen and other element |
| carbonates | are minerals that contain the element carbon and one other element |
| silicates | are minerals that contain the element silicon and oxygen |
| mineral | a naturally occurring, inorganic, and a solid substance |
| silicate minerals | the most common minerals found in Earth's crust |
| protons | positively charged particle that equals the atomic number |
| neutrons | have a neutral charge and are found by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number |
| electrons | are located in the energy levels and are negatively charged |
| nucleus | where the protons and neutrons are located |
| energy levels | are where the electrons are located |
| element | is a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances |
| atom | is the smallest particle of matter |
| mass number | the protons plus the neutrons of an element |
| atomic number | the number of protons in an element |
| isotopes | have the same number of protons but different number of neutrons |
| periodic table | is where the elements have been organized by their properties |
| diamond | is the hardest mineral |
| talc | is the softest mineral |
| Mohs scale | determines the hardness of a mineral |