01:460:100 Midterm: Study Guide for Exam 2.docx

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Geological Sciences
• Course: 01:460:100
• Professor: All

Document Summary

Mineral-a homogeneous, naturally occurring solid, formed by geologic processes, that has a crystalline structure and a definable chemical composition and generally, inorganic. Homogenous-maintains same structure and chemistry regardless how small. Crystalline substance-an internal structural framework of atoms (or ions) arranged in a regular geometric pattern. Polymorph-minerals with same chemical composition but different atomic arrangements due to formation under different physical conditions. Silica tetrahedron-has similar geometry to diamond except center atom is silicon instead of carbon. It makes up 95% of the earth"s crust. Silicates-minerals that are combined of both silicon and oxygen. They are the most abundant minerals on earth. Mineral characteristics-color, streak, luster, hardness, density, habit, and cleavage. Igneous-rocks formed from the cooling and consolidation of magma. They are both basically the same thing chemically except that gabbro is coarse grained and basalt is fine grained. Coarse grained cooled slowly while fine grained cooled fast.