Mineral Vocabulary Words
1.) Mineral - a naturally occurring solid that has a definite chemical formula and crystal shape
2.) Crystal - a repeating pattern of structure - atoms and molecules are arranged in a repeating shape. Salt (halite) has a cubic crystal.
3.) Luster - the way light reflects off the surface of a mineral
4.) Cleavage - when a mineral breaks along smooth, flat directions or lines
5.) Fracture - when a mineral breaks along uneven, jagged directions or lines.
6.) Hardness - the ability of a mineral to resist being scratched (from 1 - 10)
7.) Moh's Scale of Hardness - A scale from 1 -10 that ranks how hard a mineral is to scratch. 1 is the softest which is talc and 10 is the hardest which is diamond.
8.) Streak - the color of the powder left by a mineral when rubbed against a hard surface
9.) Geology - The study of rocks and minerals.
10.) Inorganic - A word to describe something that is non-living, often means that it does not contain the element carbon.
11.) Organic - something that is living or once living, often means that it contains the element carbon.