Download Minerals Vocab File

Chapter 3—Minerals of the Earth’s Crust
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
Luster—the way the surface of a mineral reflects light
Streak—the color of a mineral in powdered form
Cleavage—the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces
Fracture—the tendency of a mineral to break along curved or irregular surfaces
Hardness—the resistance of a mineral to being scratched
Density—the amount o9f matter in a given space; mass per unit volume
Ore—a mineral deposit large enough and pure enough to be mined for a profit
Reclamation—the process of returning land to its original state after mining is
completed
Alloy- Contains two or more metals.
Inorganic- Was never alive.
Smelting- to melt or fuse (ores) in order to separate the metallic constituents.
Titanium- a durable, lightweight metal derived from minerals such as ilmenite or
rutile.
Magma- hot, melted rock.
Solution- a mixture composed of two substances, in such a mixture, a solute is
dissolved in another substance know as a solvent.