Earth Sciences 1070A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Volcanic Glass, Geiger Counter, Talc
25 Apr 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Mineral a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid element or compound with a definite composition and regular internal structure. Must happen in nature and not be created by humans (silicon carbide is synthetically created by mixing silicon and carbon atoms) Must be produced by natural forces, but not solely by living organisms or biological processes (pearls are only produced by living organisms) Must be solid (glacier ice is a mineral, liquid water is not) Can chemically consist of one or more elements, can be very complex and contain 10 or more. Elements are made up of one or more atoms, which are composed of a nucleus containing neutrons (neutral) and protons (positive) Minerals consist of an orderly array of atoms bonded to form a crystalline structure. Ionic bond strongest, formed when a positive and negative charged atom are attracted to one another (orderly arrangement of oppositely charged ions)
