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Desiree Knight

McCann

INTRO TO GEOLOGY 6355

01/16/2021

01 | Give it Some Thought module #1 assignment

1. Using the geologic definition of mineral as your guide, determine which of the items in

this list are minerals and which are not, if something in this list is not a mineral. explain.

a. gold nugget - gold is an example of a mineral classified as a native element. It is a solid

and it occurs naturally, and It is made up of gold atoms.

b. seawater - Seawater is not a mineral. It is a liquid and does not have fixed composition.

c. quartz - is a mineral with a definite structure. It occurs naturally and it is a solid.

d. cubic zirconia - is not a mineral. It is not naturally occurring, and it is man-made.

e. obsidian - is not a mineral. It is a mineraloid due to its form. It is glass-like in nature. In

obsidian, the crystals do not have time to form a methodical structure. it lacks an internal

arrangement of atoms; however, it is an igneous rock.

f. ruby - is a mineral, it is a gemstone variety of a silicate mineral.

g. glacial ice - is a mineral. It is solid, inorganic, naturally occurring, and has a definite

composition.

h. amber – is not a mineral since it is a natural organic material.

2. Assume that the number of protons in a neutral atom is 92 and the atomic mass is

238.03 (Hint: refer to the Periodic Table in fig. 3.5 [or the bottom of this page] to answer this

question)
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a. What is the name of this element?

The name of this element is Uranium.

b. How many electrons does it have?

There are 92 electrons in the Uranium element.

3. Referring to this photo of five minerals, determine which of these specimens exhibit a

metallic luster and which have a nonmetallic luster.

A.) a Transparent green mineral, it has no metallic luster.

B.) a clear slightly pink crystal-like mineral, it has no metallic luster.

C.) a deep bronze like mineral with multiple cleavages, is does have a metallic luster.

D.) a pinkish peach opaque mineral, it has no metallic luster.

E.) a reflective silver mineral with multiple cleaves, it does have metallic luster.

4. Gold has a specific gravity of almost 20. A 5-gallon bucket of water weighs 40 pounds.

How much would a 5-gallon bucket of gold weigh?

If 5 gallons of water equal out to 40lbs, we would multiply that number by 20 which is

the gravity of the gold and so a 5lbs bucket of gold would weigh 800 lbs.

5. Examine this photo of a mineral that has several smooth, flat surfaces that resulted

when the specimen was broken.

a. How many flat surfaces are present on this specimen?

There are 6 flat surfaces.

b. How many different directions of cleavage does this specimen have?

There are 3 different directions of cleavage.

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c. Do the cleavage directions meet at 90-degree angles?

The angles do not meet at a 90-degree angle.

6. Each of the following statements describes a silicate mineral or mineral group. In each

case, provide the appropriate name.

a. The most common member of the amphibole group

Hornblende is the most common member of the amphibole group.

b. The most common light-colored member of the mica family

Muscovite is the most common light-colored mineral of the mica family

c. The only common silicate mineral made entirely of silicon and oxygen

Quartz, it is the most abundant mineral found at Earth's surface.

d. A silicate mineral with a name based on its color

Rose quartz, a type of quartz which exhibits a pale pink to rose red hue.

e. A silicate mineral characterized by striations

feldspar, distinguished by the presence of alumina and silica

f. Silicate minerals that originate as a product of chemical weathering

calcite, the most common form of natural calcium carbonate

7. What mineral property is illustrated in this photo?

Cleavage, it seems to be some type of micas because micas can be cleaved into thin flat

sheets however, I know that Muscovite can also have a quite flexible nature. The image looks

very bendy, so it is hard to tell.

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