| Word |
Definition |
| atomic mass unit |
A mass unit equal to one-twelfth the mass of a carbon-12 atom. |
| atomic number |
The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. |
| biotite |
A dark iron-rich mineral and a member of the mica family with excellent cleavage. |
| calcite |
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), one of the two most common carbonate minerals. |
| clay |
A group of light-colored silicates that typically form as products of chemical weathering of igneous rocks. |
| cleavage |
The tendancy of a mineral to break along planes of weak bonding. |
| color |
A phenomenon of light by which otherwise identical objects may be differentiated. |
| conchoidal fracture |
Any type of break or rupture in a rock that results in a smooth rounded surface resembling a scallop shell. |
| covalent bond |
A chemical bond produced by the sharing of electrons. |
| feldspar |
A group of nonferromagnesian silicate minerals; by far the most plentiful silicate group in the Earth's crust. |
| ferromagnesian silicates |
A silicate mineral that contains ions of iron and/or magnesium in its structure. Dark silicates are dark in color and have higher specific gravity than nonferromagnesian silicates. |
| garnet |
Silicate mineral composed of individual silica tetrahedra. Most often brown to deep red,; has a glassy luster, lacks cleavage, and exhibits conchoidal fracture. |
| gypsum |
A hydrated calcium sulfate mineral. It is the mineral from which plaster, drywall, and other similar building materials are composed. |
| habit |
Refers to the common or characteristic shape of a crystal or an aggregate of crystals. |
| halite |
The mineral name for common table salt, NaCl. Commonly found in thick layers that are the last vestiges of ancient evaporated seas. |
| hardness |
A mineral's resistance to scratching or abrasion. |
| hornblende |
A dark green to black mineral of the amphibole group, often found in igneous rocks. |
| ionic bond |
A chemical bond between two oppositely charged ions that is formed by the transfer of valence electrons from one atom to another. |
| luster |
The appearance or quality of light reflected from the surface of a mineral. |
| metallic bond |
A chemical bond that is present in all metals that may be characterized as an extreme type of electron sharing in which the electrons move freely from atom to atom. |
| mineralogy |
The study of minerals. |
| muscovite |
A common member of the mica family. It is light-colored with a pearly luster and has excellent cleavage. |
| nonferromagnesian silicates |
A silicate mineral that lacks iron and/or magnesium. Light-colored silicates are generally lighter in color and have lower specific gravity than dark silicates. |
| nonsilicates |
Refers to mineral groups that lack silica in their structures and account for less than 10 percent of Earth's crust. |
| octet rule |
A rule which states that atoms combine in order that each may have the electron arrangement of a noble gas (that is, the outer energy level contains eight electrons). |
| olivine |
A high-temperature dark silicate mineral typically found in basalt. |
| ore deposit |
Usually a useful metallic mineral that can be mined at a profit. The term is also applied to certain nonmetallic minerals such as fluorite and sulfur. |
| polymerization |
The ability of silicate tetrahedra to link together in a variety of configurations, including chains, sheets, and three-dimensional structures. |
| quartz |
A common silicate mineral consisting entirely of silicon and oxygen that resists weathering. |
| silicate |
Any one of numerous minerals that have the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron as their basic structure. |
| silicon-oxygen tetrahedron |
A structure composed of four oxygen atoms surrounding a silicon atom that constitutes the basic building block of silicate minerals. |
| specific gravity |
The ratio of a substance's weight to the weight of an equal volume of water. |
| streak |
The color of a mineral in powdered form. |
| tenacity |
Describes a mineral's toughness or resistance to breaking or deforming. |
