Vocabulary Unit 5 – Minerals

1. mineral - a naturally occurring inorganic solid, with a definite chemical composition

2. element - A substance that has atoms of only one thing; it cannot be broken down simpler

3. native element - are elements that occur in nature in their pure form, not as compounds. Gold and silver are examples

4. nonrenewable resource -any natural resource in limited supply and cannot be replaced if it is used up; examples - oil and coal

5. pressure - the continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with it

6. organic – made from living matter or related to living matter

7. inorganic – not made from living matter; not related to living matter

8. structure - construct or arrange according to a plan; give a pattern or organization to

9. luster - the description of the way a mineral’s surface looks when light reflects off of the surface – metallic and nonmetallic

10. cleavage - the tendency of minerals to break along flat surfaces

11. fracture - the tendency of a mineral to break in an uneven manner

12. streak - color of the powder that a mineral leaves on a piece of white, unglazed porcelain

13. carbonate - minerals that contain both carbon and oxygen

14. silicate - minerals that contain combinations of silicon and oxygen in their chemical structure

Vocabulary Unit 5 – Minerals

1. mineral - a naturally occurring inorganic solid, with a definite chemical composition

2. element - A substance that has atoms of only one thing; it cannot be broken down simpler

3. native element - are elements that occur in nature in their pure form, not as compounds. Gold and silver are examples

4. nonrenewable resource -any natural resource in limited supply and cannot be replaced if it is used up; examples - oil and coal

5. pressure - the continuous physical force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with it

6. organic – made from living matter or related to living matter

7. inorganic – not made from living matter; not related to living matter

8. structure - construct or arrange according to a plan; give a pattern or organization to

9. luster - the description of the way a mineral’s surface looks when light reflects off of the surface – metallic and nonmetallic

10. cleavage - the tendency of minerals to break along flat surfaces

11. fracture - the tendency of a mineral to break in an uneven manner

12. streak - color of the powder that a mineral leaves on a piece of white, unglazed porcelain

13. carbonate - minerals that contain both carbon and oxygen

14. silicate - minerals that contain combinations of silicon and oxygen in their chemical structure