Minerals – Ch 5 TermsProperties Groups Identification Random
The mass of a substance to the volume is its ____ Answer
Density Home
The ability of a mineral to resist scratching is its _____ Answer
Hardness Home
Tendency of a mineral to break and form uneven, irregular surfaces Answer
Fracture Home
An inorganic solid with characteristic chemical composition and physical properties Answer
Mineral Home
Fluorite and Halite belong to what mineral group? Answer
Halides Home
The way that light is reflected from a mineral’s surface Answer
Home Luster
True/False: Chatoyancy means “cat’s eye” and has a silky appearance Answer
True Home
What is the color of a mineral in a powdered form? Answer
Streak Home
What physical property is unreliable as an identification clue for minerals? Answer
Color Home
What is the tendency of a mineral to split along specific planes, forming flat surfaces? Answer
Cleavage Home
A solid whose atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a regular, repeating pattern Answer
Crystal Home
What are the 2 main groups of minerals? Answer
Silicates or Non- silicates Home
Minerals are usually _____, meaning they do not contain carbon Answer
Inorganic Home
Mineral that does not contain silicon and oxygen (SiO 2 ) Answer
Nonsilicate Home
Mineral that contains silicon and oxygen compounds Answer
Silicate Home
Answer True or False: A mineral that glows in ultraviolet light is phosphorescent
False (fluorescent) Home
Oxides, Sulfides, Halides, Carbonates, and Sulfates are all major classes of what group of minerals? Answer
Nonsilicate Minerals Home
Cubes, hexagonal prisms, and irregular masses are common mineral structures for what group of minerals? Answer
Nonsilicate Minerals Home
If an unstable atomic nuclei decays into stable nuclei, the mineral is ____. Answer
Radioactive Home
Answer What are 3 physical properties mineralogists use to identify minerals?
Color, streak, hardness, luster, cleavage, fracture, density, crystal shape Home
What class of minerals is the most common on Earth? Answer
Silicates Home
What is the softest mineral on the Moh’s hardness scale? Answer
Talc Home
True/False: Quartz and Amethyst are examples of Nonsilicate Minerals Answer
False; they are Silicates! Home
True/False: Hematite is an example of a mineral in the Oxide group Answer
True Home
True/False: Galena and Mica both have fracture Answer
False Home