BY DALLAS AND NATHAN Minerals

Reclamation This is the process of returning land to its original state after mining is completed.

Ore This is a mineral deposit large enough and pure enough to be mined for a profit.

Density This is the amount of matter in a given space.

Hardness This is the resistance of a mineral to being scratched.

Fracture This is the tendency of a mineral to break along curved or irregular surfaces.

Cleavage This is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces.

Streak This is the color of a mineral in powdered form.

Luster This is the way the surface of a mineral reflects light.

Mineral A naturally formed inorganic solid with a crystalline structure.

Element A pure substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical means.

Atom The smallest part of an element that has all of the properties of that element.

Compound A pure substance made of two or more elements that have been chemically joined, or bonded together.

Crystal The solid, geometric form of a mineral produced by a repeating pattern of atoms.

Silicate Mineral A mineral that contains a combination of the elements silicon and oxygen.

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