GL101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Valence Electron, Relative Atomic Mass, Atom
Document Summary
Chapter 2 minerals: the building blocks of rocks: 5 requirements: Inorganic: naturally occurring, solid, ordered internal molecular structure, definite chemical composition, definition of a rock, a solid mass of minerals. Ionic one atom (mostly) loses electron(s), another gains them: mineral, atoms ordered, bonded, crystalline structure, polymorph, some elements form >1 geometric arrangement, chemical composition stays the same, physical properties differ, example: diamond and graphite. Physical properties of minerals: crystal habit (shape, external expression of the orderly internal arrangement of atoms, crystal growth is often interrupted because of competition for space and rapid heat loss. Lustre: appearance in reflected light, metallic, non-metallic, vitreous, silky, or earthy (non-metallic lustre, colour, colour can be obvious (yellow, pink, etc. ), not the only diagnostic tool: quartz, clear, white, rose, smoky, purple, etc. Important non-silicate minerals: several major groups exist including, oxides, hydroxides, sulphides, sulphates, native elements (stray copper, sulfur, halides, carbonates, phosphates.
