Mineral – Essay/Short Answer – Flashcards
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Why is a mineral color not helpful for identifying minerals?
answer
Same mineral may have different colors
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Several layers are peeled from a piece of muscovite mica. What property of minerals does this illustrate? Describe the property in mica.
answer
It illustrates property of cleavage. Mica has ability to split along planes of weakness. It breaks cleanly into sheets.
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What does the presence of cleavage planes within a mineral tell you about the chemical bonds that hold the mineral together?
answer
The chemical bonds are weak.
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What is a crystal?
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Crystal is MATTER,/SOLID that is formed from an ORDERED ARRANGEMENT or atoms, ions, and molecules in REPEATING PATTERNS.
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Do all crystals have smooth crystal faces? Explain.
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No. They do not all have smooth crystal faces. They can be many different shapes. cubic, hexagonal, blocky or brick and more.
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What is the most abundant MINERAL GROUP in Earth's crust? What ELEMENTS are ALWAYS found in the minerals included in this group?
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Silicates are the most abundant mineral group; Elements always found are Silicon (Si) and Oxygen (O)
