Minerals Ch. 3
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Created by:
jillwellwood on September 29, 2011
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12 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Mineral | a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and an orderly arrangement of atoms |
| Crystal | a solid in which the atoms are arranged in orderly, repeating patterns |
| Magma | hot melted rock material that cools when it reaches Earth's surface, or even if it's trapped below the surface |
| Silicates | minerals that contain silicon and oxygen and usually one or more other elements |
| Hardness | a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched |
| Luster | the way a mineral reflects light |
| Specific Gravity | the ration of its weight compared with the weight of an equal volume of water |
| Streak | the color of a mineral when it is in a powdered form |
| Cleavage | determined partly by the arrangement of the mineral's atoms |
| Fracture | minerals that break with uneven, rough, or jagged surfaces |
| Gems | highly prized minerals because they are rare and beautiful |
| Ore | contains a useful substance that can be mined at a profit |
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