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Inside Earth Ch. 4/5
Minerals / Rocks
Term | Definition |
---|---|
mineral | A naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure (most of the time) and a definite chemical composition. |
Moh’s hardness scale | A scale ranking ten minerals from softest to hardest; used in testing the hardness of minerals. |
streak | The color of a mineral’s powder. |
luster | The way a mineral reflects light from its surface. |
cleavage | A mineral’s ability to split easily along flat surfaces. |
fracture | The way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way. |
fluorescence | The property of a mineral in which the mineral glows under ultraviolet light. |
texture | The look and feel of a rock’s surface, as determined by the size, shape, and pattern of a rock’s grains. |
grain | A particle of mineral or other rock that gives a rock its texture. |
igneous rock | A type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock on or below the surface. |
metamorphic rock | A type of rock that forms from existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions. |
sedimentary rock | A type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together. |
extrusive rock | Igneous rock that forms from lava on Earth’s surface. |
intrusive rock | Igneous rock that forms when magma hardens beneath Earth’s surface. |
sediment | Small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or organisms. |
erosion | The destructive process in which water or wind loosen and carry away fragments of different objects, such as rock. |
foliated | A term used to describe metamorphic rocks whose grains are arranged in parallel layers or bands. |
rock cycle | A series of processes on the surface and inside Earth that slowly change rocks from one kind to another. |