Warm-up: Minerals

Front

What is the definition of mineral cleavage?

Back

Mineral cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat, even surfaces. This property is a result of the mineral's internal structure.

Front

What is the definition of mineral hardness?

Back

Mineral hardness is a measure of a mineral's resistance to scratching, often assessed using the Mohs scale.

Front

What is the Mohs scale?

Back

The Mohs scale is a scale from 1 to 10 used to rank minerals based on their hardness, with talc at 1 (softest) and diamond at 10 (hardest).

Front

What is streak in mineralogy?

Back

Streak is the color of the powder left when a mineral is scraped across a porcelain plate.

Front

What is luster in minerals?

Back

Luster refers to the way light reflects off the surface of a mineral, categorized as metallic or non-metallic.

Front

What class of minerals does Gold (Au) belong to?

Back

Gold belongs to the Native Elements class of minerals.

Front

Which mineral is softer than glass?

Back

Calcite is softer than glass.

Front

What is the definition of mineral density?

Back

Density is the mass of a mineral per unit volume, often expressed in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³).

Front

What is the difference between cleavage and fracture in minerals?

Back

Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces, while fracture is the irregular breakage of a mineral.

Front

What is the definition of a silicate mineral?

Back

Silicate minerals are composed of silicon and oxygen, and they often contain other elements.