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Glossary
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Below you will find key words and concepts that you should remember from this chapter.
amphibole group  Mineral group in which all members are double chain silicates.
(See page(s) 231)
atom  Smallest possible particle of an element that retains the properties of that element.
(See page(s) 219)
atomic mass number  The total number of neutrons and protons in an atom.
(See page(s) 219)
atomic number  The total number of protons in an atom.
(See page(s) 219)
atomic weight  The sum of the weight of the subatomic particles in an average atom of an element, given in atomic mass units.
(See page(s) 221)
biotite  Iron/magnesium bearing mica.
(See page(s) 231)
bonding  Attachment of an atom to one or more adjacent atoms.
(See page(s) 222)
calcite  Mineral with the formula CaCO3.
(See page(s) 231)
chain silicate structure  Silicate structure in which two of each tetrahedron's oxygen ions are shared with adjacent tetrahedrons, resulting in a chain of tetrahedrons.
(See page(s) 226)
clay mineral group  Collective term for several clay minerals.
(See page(s) 231)
cleavage  The ability of a mineral to break along preferred planes.
(See page(s) 235)
covalent bonding  Bonding due to the sharing of electrons by adjacent atoms.
(See page(s) 223)
crystal form  Arrangement of various faces on a crystal in a definite geometric relationship to one another.
(See page(s) 233)
crystalline  Describing a substance in which the atoms are arranged in a regular, repeating, orderly pattern.
(See page(s) 224)
density  Weight per given volume of a substance.
(See page(s) 237)
earthy luster  A luster giving a substance the appearance of unglazed pottery.
(See page(s) 232)
electron  A single, negative electric charge that contributes virtually no mass to an atom.
(See page(s) 219)
element  A substance that cannot be broken down to other substances by ordinary chemical methods. Each atom of an element possesses the same number of protons.
(See page(s) 219)
feldspar group  Group of most common minerals of Earth’s crust. All feldspars contain silicon, aluminum, and oxygen and may contain potassium, calcium, and sodium.
(See page(s) 230)
ferromagnesian mineral  Iron/magnesium-bearing mineral, such as augite, hornblende, olivine, or biotite.
(See page(s) 232)
fracture  The way a substance breaks where not controlled by cleavage.
(See page(s) 236)
framework silicate structure  Crystal structure in which all four oxygen ions of a silica tetrahedron are shared by adjacent ions.
(See page(s) 227)
glassy (vitreous) luster  A luster that gives a substance a glazed, porcelainlike appearance.
(See page(s) 232)
hardness  The relative ease or difficulty with which a smooth surface of a mineral can be scratched; commonly measured by Mohs’ scale.
(See page(s) 232)
ion  An electrically charged atom or group of atoms.
(See page(s) 222)
ionic bonding  Bonding due to the attraction between positively charged ions and negatively charged ions.
(See page(s) 223)
isolated silicate structure  Silicate minerals that are structured so that none of the oxygen atoms are shared by silica tetrahedrons.
(See page(s) 226)
isotopes  Atoms (of the same element) that have different numbers of neutrons but the same number of protons.
(See page(s) 219)
luster  The quality and intensity of light reflected from the surface of a mineral.
(See page(s) 232)
magnetite  Iron oxide that is attracted to a magnet.
(See page(s) 238)
metallic luster  Luster giving a substance the appearance of being made of metal.
(See page(s) 232)
mica group  Group of minerals with a sheet silicate structure.
(See page(s) 231)
mineral  A naturally occurring, crystalline solid that has a specific chemical composition.
(See page(s) 218)
Mohs’ hardness scale  Scale on which ten minerals are designated as standards of hardness.
(See page(s) 232)
muscovite  Transparent or white mica that lacks iron and magnesium.
(See page(s) 231)
neutron  A subatomic particle that contributes mass to an atom and is electrically neutral.
(See page(s) 219)
nonmetallic luster  Luster that gives a substance the appearance of being made of something other than metal (e.g., glassy).
(See page(s) 232)
nucleus  Protons and neutrons form the nucleus of an atom. Although the nucleus occupies an extremely tiny fraction of the volume of the entire atom, practically all the mass of the atom is concentrated in the nucleus.
(See page(s) 219)
olivine  A ferromagnesian mineral with the formula (Fe, Mg)2SiO4.
(See page(s) 226, 232)
ore mineral  A mineral of commercial value.
(See page(s) 232)
plagioclase feldspar  A feldspar containing sodium and/or calcium in addition to aluminum, silicon, and oxygen.
(See page(s) 231)
potassium feldspar (or K spar)  A feldspar with the formula KAlSi3O8.
(See page(s) 230)
proton  A subatomic particle that contributes mass and a single positive electrical charge to an atom.
(See page(s) 219)
pyroxene group  Mineral group, all members of which are single chain silicates.
(See page(s) 231)
quartz  Mineral with the formula SiO2.
(See page(s) 230)
sheet silicate structure  Crystal structure in which each silica tetrahedron shares three oxygen ions.
(See page(s) 227)
silica  A term used for oxygen plus silicon.
(See page(s) 224)
silicates  A substance that contains silica as part of its chemical formula.
(See page(s) 224)
silicon-oxygen tetrahedron  Four-sided, pyramidal object that visually represents the four oxygen atoms surrounding a silicon atom; the basic building block of silicate minerals. Also called a silica tetrahedron or a silicon tetrahedron.
(See page(s) 225)
specific gravity  The ratio of the mass of a substance to the mass of an equal volume of water, determined at a specified temperature.
(See page(s) 237)
streak  Color of a pulverized substance; a useful property for mineral identification.
(See page(s) 232)
striations  On minerals, extremely straight, parallel lines.
(See page(s) 238)







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