Rocks and Minerals Vocabulary Part 1 Core Definition

Rocks and Minerals Vocabulary Part 1

Core • Definition: the inner part of the earth, full of hot liquid • Inner core: solid nickel and iron, solid because it is under so much pressure; 800 miles thick; 13, 000°F • Outer core: liquid nickel and iron; 1, 400 miles thick; 11, 000°F Inner Core Outer Core

Crust • Definition: the outside of the earth – the part we live on – all of the rocks and minerals that we know are found here • 5 (under the oceans) - 25 (under the continents) miles thick • 1, 600°F at the deepest parts

Mantle • Definition: the layer of earth below the crust • 1, 000 -1, 800 miles thick • 8, 000°F at the deepest parts

Rock • Definition: any piece of solid matter in the Earth’s crust • Made up of minerals • p. 239

Mineral • Definition: matter that is not plant or animal • Rocks are made of these • p. 239 Gypsum Pink Chalcedony Sulfur (yellow)

Geologist • Definition: a scientist who studies rocks and minerals • Includes: volcanoes, earthquakes, specific rocks, rock formations, identifying new rocks, how the earth was formed

Appearance Mesolite • Definition: the way something looks to you • Includes: color, luster, size, crystal structure • p. 239 Calcite (purple) on Fluorite (white/yellow)

Luster • Definition: the way a rock’s surface reflects light • Choices: metallic, nonmetallic, dull, pearly, glassy, greasy, silky • p. 240 Greasy Dull Glassy (the rock, not the lichen)

Streak • Definition: the color of a mineral in its powdered form • BE CAREFUL: a mineral’s streak is NOT always the same as its appearance • p. 240 -241 Bauxite

Metallic Gold • Definition: minerals with a shiny appearance • Looks like metal • p. 240 Azurite

Nonmetallic • Definition: minerals that allow light to pass through them, minerals with a dull appearance • Includes: dull, pearly, glassy, greasy, silky • p. 240 Pearly Silky Glassy

Hardness • Definition: the ability to resist being scratched • p. 240 • We use the Mohs scale(1 -10), created by Fredrich Mohs (German geologist) Examples: 1 – fingernail scratches it easily 6 – scratches glass easily 10 – scratches every other mineral (hardest mineral – diamond)

Layers of the Earth Crust Mantle Core