Assignment 1 Earth Science

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Southern New Hampshire University *

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PHY103

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Geology

Date

Jan 9, 2024

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docx

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Sara Rigby PHY 103 Module 1 Assignment The formal definition of a mineral is any naturally occurring inorganic solid that possesses an orderly crystalline structure and definite chemical composition that allows for some variation. To break down this definition into more common language I am going to start with the phrase “naturally occurring”. Any substance that is naturally occurring is formed by natural processes, with minerals it is a material that is formed by natural geologic processes specifically, anything that is produced by humans does not fit into this category. Another part of this definition that I would like to focus on is “orderly crystalline structure”. This phrase means that to be a mineral the substance must have its atoms arranged in a systematic, repetitive way to produce crystals, if it does not contain this element then it cannot be considered a mineral. There are many different properties that can help identify a mineral. However, there are some that are more definitive than others, these are considered diagnostic properties. One way to classify a mineral is to test its hardness. The hardness is how a specimen resists abrasion. This is tested by rubbing the unknown mineral against a mineral of known hardness. There are two different scales to use to gain a numerical value for this property; the Mohs scale, which is a relative scale and the Absolute Hardness scale. A diamond is considered the hardest on both scales. Another way to determine a mineral is with its cleavage or fracture. Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along planes of weak bonding, and not all minerals will have this property. If a sample does not break along these planes and has equally strong bonding in all directions, then it fractures. This produces uneven surfaces and different shapes when a mineral is broken. A great example of cleavage is seen in Micas, when broken they produce flat, uniform

sheets. A mineral that demonstrations fracture is quartz, it can break in an irregular fracture or a conchoidal fracture. My favorite type of rock is igneous rock, this forms through the crystallization or solidification of magma when it reaches the surface. There are many types of igneous rock, but the subtype I enjoy the most is basalt. Basalt is a fine-grained, mafic form of igneous rock. It is made when lava contains more dark silicate materials than granite rock does. They are very dark and dense compared to other igneous rocks. Basalt can be seen forming columns and other interesting

formations around the town that I live in. The rock cycle begins with magma deep beneath the earth’s surface. This magma surfaces to become lava and goes through the process of crystallization or solidification to become igneous rock. When the igneous rock is exposed, it undergoes weathering. This leads to the rock breaking

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