5.2. Minerals – Vocabulary
Section 5.0 Introduction
- crystal
- mineral
- solid
- liquid
- naturally-occurring
- three-dimensional structure
- anthropogenic
- natural processes
- waxy
- ore
- composition
- variable composition
- solid solution
- substitute / substitution
- chemical formula
- lattice
- internal atomic arrangement
- crystalline
- deposit
- mineraloid
Section 5.1 Atoms
- atom
- element
- proton
- neutron
- electron
- positive charge
- negative charge
- neutral
- nucleus
- isotope
- atomic structure
- atomic number
- mass number
- radioactive
- energy
- decay
- shell
- energy level
- outer shell
- inert
- noble gasses
- compound
- bond
- electron shell configuration
- subshell
Section 5.2 Bonding and lattices
- chemical bond
- transfer electron
- share electron
- ionic bond
- ion
- cation / positive ion
- anion / negative ion
- covalent bond
- charge imbalance
- balance
- Van der Waals forces
- sheet
- layer
- hydrogen bonds
- electrostatically neutral
- asymmetrical
- polar
- metallic bonding
- dissociated electrons
- electrically conductive
- malleable
- deform
Section 5.3 Mineral groups
- anion group
- silicate
- oxide
- carbonate
- sulfate / sulphate
- gemstone
- hydroxide
- hydroxyl ion
- ore
- sulfide / sulphide
- metallic
- sheen
- lustre
- halide
- halogen
- phosphate
- native element
Section 5.4 Silicate minerals
- silicate tetrahedron
- tetrahedra
- building block
- chain
- ring
- framework
- isolated tetrahedra
- Ångstrom
- atomic-scale
- ferric iron
- ferrous iron
- chain silicate
- single-chain silicate
- double-chain silicate
- permissive
- sheet silicate
- framework silicate
- ternary system
- end-member
- polymorph
Section 5.5 How minerals form
- physical conditions
- chemical conditions
- crystallize
- crystal growth
- magma
- fine-grained
- precipitation
- metamorphism
- weathering
- organic (biogenic) mineral formation
Section 5.6 Mineral properties
- colour
- streak
- lustre
- hardness
- habit
- cube
- cubic
- cleavage
- fracture
- density
- texture
- powder
- streak plate
- metallic
- sheen
- non-metallic
- translucent
- transparent
- reflective
- glassy
- earthy
- silky
- pearly
- resinous
- scratch
- Mohs hardness scale
- steel file
- dodecahedron (12 sided)
- bladed
- botryoidal
- dendritic
- drusy
- equant
- fibrous
- platy
- prismatic
- stubby
- crystal shape
- crystal habit
- plane
- basal cleavage
- cleavage planes
- crystal face
- diagnostic
- density
- magnetic
- salty
- bitter
- striations
Other vocabulary
- course-grained
- amorphous
- inorganic
- synthetic
- ceramic
- euhedral
- anhedral
- ductile
- specific gravity
- felsic
- mafic
- geometry
- octahedron (8 sides)
- apex
