Minerals

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| Syllabus | Schedule | Email Kerry Magruder |

Assignments	Chernicoff, Chapter 2, "Minerals." Class will meet at 8 a.m. in the lab, Room 214--not in the Planetarium. Mineral specimens will be distributed to those who have paid the lab fee. See Guidelines for Rock Collections for details on organizing your mineral collection, including a mineral description template and descriptions of minerals.
Reminders	Do the reading! Expect to spend at least an hour preparing for every class by reading the assigned texts--not counting review time and homework time.

Reading Focus Questions

Read the entire chapter. Focus your attention on the following questions. Be prepared to answer any of these questions should they occur on a quiz or the final exam. For multiple choice questions select the single best answer.

Chemistry focus questions

1. The smallest particle of an element that retains all of its chemical properties is the:
   1. neutron
   2. compound
   3. proton
   4. atom

    

2. Atomic number refers to the number of:
   1. protons and neutrons in the atom's nucleus
   2. electrons in the atom
   3. neutrons in the atom's nucleus
   4. protons in the atom's nucleus

    

3. A compound is a:
   1. particular combination of minerals
   2. combination of equal numbers of electrons, protons and neutrons
   3. combination of atoms in specific proportions
   4. combination of elements in specific proportions

    

4. Ionic bonding results in:
   1. neutrons becoming charged
   2. atoms becoming charged
   3. the formation of inert compounds
   4. the formation of isotopes

    

5. True or False? A 2-plus superscript following the symbol of an atom indicates that the atom gained two electrons.

    

6. Compounds formed by sharing electrons have which kind of bonds?
   1. ionic
   2. covalent
   3. metallic
   4. intermolecular

    

7. Certain ions of a similar size and charge can replace one another within a crystal structure, depending on which is most available during the mineral's formation. This is called "ionic ______________."

Minerals focus questions

1. Minerals:
   1. contain organic compounds
   2. are composed of two or more elements
   3. have a systematic internal organization of atoms
   4. can be produced synthetically

    

2. Rapid cooling of molten rock forms:
   1. perfect crystals
   2. minerals with orderly internal arrangements
   3. mineraloids
   4. charged ions

    

3. Polymorphic minerals:
   1. have the same crystal structure but different chemical compositions
   2. have the same chemical composition but different crystal structures
   3. have different chemical composition but are formed under the same temperature and pressure conditions
   4. have the same chemical composition and crystal structure but are different colors

    

4. When talking about a mineral's streak, we mean:
   1. the color of its powder
   2. the scratches we can make on it
   3. the natural, visible lines between various layers
   4. the pattern in which colored light shines from its surface in streaks or rays

    

5. The Mohs scale:
   1. was developed by Friedric Mohorovicic
   2. utilizes reflected light to measure a mineral's luster
   3. ranks minerals in order of hardness
   4. indicates the specific gravity of a mineral

    

6. Specific gravity:
   1. can help distinguish between similar minerals
   2. is the same for all minerals with the same chemical composition
   3. is the ratio of a substance's density to the density of pure oxygen
   4. determines the hardness of a mineral

    

7. Silicates make up ____% of the earth's crust, and about _____% of the mantle.

    

8. Silicates:
   1. seldom form tetrahedra
   2. always contain hydrogen and silicon
   3. always contain oxygen and silicon
   4. always form double chains or sheets

    

9. True or False? A crystal's shape is due to its internal structure.

    

10. True or False? Since all minerals are derived from natural elements, they are safe to taste and smell.

Class Agenda

• This chapter includes a whirlwind tour of basic concepts in chemistry, so please study the beginning section until you can answer the questions given above. We will not take class time to go over this, other than to briefly answer the questions. Let me know if you're uncomfortable with any of them and we'll schedule an optional tutorial session.

   

• Carefully study the section "How Minerals are Identified." Be able to describe how you would use properties such as color, luster, streak, hardness, cleavage, fracture, smell and taste in order to identify minerals. The entire class time will be devoted to a laboratory activity describing your mineral specimens based on this section. See "Organizing your Collection" for details.

   

• Review the section "Some Common Rock-forming Minerals," which describes how minerals are classified. Refer often to Table 2-3 and Table 2-4, pp. 37-38.