Rocks & Minerals Vocab

Front

A naturally occurring, inorganic, solid with a definite chemical composition and crystalline structure is a

Back

mineral

Front

The tendency of a mineral to break along flat, smooth, and even surfaces

Back

cleavage

Front

The way a mineral reflects light

Back

luster

Front

The tendency of a mineral to break into jagged and uneven surfaces

Back

fracture

Front

The color of a mineral in its powdered form

Back

streak

Front

The resistance of a mineral to being scratched

Back

hardness

Front

This is the shape that is formed when the silica and oxygen atoms bond together in a silicate

Back

tetrahedron

Front

solid particles such as weathered rock fragments, plant and remains or minerals that settle out of solution onto lake and ocean bottoms

Back

sediments

Front

type of magma that is high in iron and magnesium

Back

mafic

Front

type of magma that is high in aluminum and silica

Back

felsic