Minerals and Rocks Vocabulary

Mineral: A ________ occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition.

• naturally

• artificially

• randomly

• chemically

Silicate Mineral: A mineral that contains a combination of silicon and ________ and that may also contain one or more metals.

• oxygen

• hydrogen

• carbon

• nitrogen

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

Nonsilicate Mineral: A mineral that does not contain compounds of ________ and oxygen.

• silicon

• carbon

• iron

• calcium

Crystal: A substance in which the particles are arranged in an orderly, geometric, repeating ________.

• pattern

• color

• temperature

• weight

Silicate-oxygen: All silicate minerals contain ________.

• oxygen
• minerals

• silicon

• feldspar

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

Minerologist: Scientist who studies the distribution of minerals, mineral properties, and their ________.

• uses

• colors

• weights

• origins

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Streak: The color of a mineral in ________ form.

• powdered

• liquid

• crystal

• solid

Luster: The way a mineral reflects ________ from its surface.

• light

• sound

• heat

• water

Cleavage: The splitting of a mineral along smooth, flat ________.

• surfaces

• edges

• corners

• layers

Fracture: The way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an ________ way.

• irregular

• even

• smooth

• layered