EARTH231 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Limonite, Covalent Bond, Feldspar
24 Feb 2015
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Document Summary
It is a naturally occurring solid, with an ordered atomic arrangement and a definite but not fixed, chemical composition where most elements are made up by inorganic chemical processes. Mineral groups categorized by basic anions: halides combined with halogen elements (cl, i, br, f, occurs as precipitates through evaporation (e. g. Crystal form when grown without interference, the shape they assume. Fracture no cleavage: conchoidal break with smooth faces, fibrous/splintery serpentine (asbestos, hackly jagged with sharp edges such as native copper, uneven/irregular chalcopyrite, earthy limonite. Striations parallel grooves on a cleavage plane such as plagioclase feldspar. Hardness measure of minerals resistance to abrasion is determined by comparison with minerals of known hardness *moh"s hardness scale . Specific gravity ratio of the weight of a mineral to the weight of an equal volume of water. Low, medium 2. 5-3: high 3-6, very high 6+ Colour most easily observed, but not a good determinate because minerals vary with impurities.
