Rocks and Minerals

VocabularyPart 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. 239Pink Chalcedony

Sulfur (yellow)

Gypsum

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

• Definition: the way something looks to you

• Includes: color, luster, size, crystal structure

• p. 239Calcite (purple) on Fluorite (white/yellow)

Mesolite

Luster• Definition: the way a rock’s surface reflects

light

• Choices: metallic, nonmetallic, dull, pearly, glassy, greasy, silky

• p. 240

Dull

Greasy

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. 240-241Bauxite

Metallic

• Definition: minerals with a shiny appearance

• Looks like metal

• p. 240Azurite

Gold

Nonmetallic• Definition: minerals that allow light to pass

through them, minerals with a dull appearance

• Includes: dull, pearly, glassy, greasy, silky

• p. 240Pearly GlassySilky

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 easily6 – scratches glass easily10 – scratches every other mineral (hardest mineral – diamond)

Layers of the Earth

Crust

Mantle

Core