Geology 101: Assignment

Geology 101—Lesson 2 Assignment

1. What is meant by "hydrogen is the simplest of all elements"?
Because hydrogen has an atomic number of only “1” which means it only has one proton in its nucleus and it is the only element with only one proton in its nucleus also has one electron

2. What must happen in order for an atom to lose its electrical neutrality?
In order for an atom to lose its electrical neutrality the protons and electrons would have to have an unequal number of positively charged protons versus negatively charged electrons must either gain or lose an electron

3. What is the fundamental difference between gases, liquids, and solids?
Although all three or
phases of matter, a solid has a fixed shape and volume (although it can be changed) and can’t flo,w a gas takes the shape and volume of any container it is occupying and can be compressed while doing so and a liquid will adapt and change to the shape of any container it is in and can flow . The primary difference is in the degree to which their atoms can change position

4.
What is the difference between a "crystalline" solid and an "amorphous" solid (at the atomic level)?
The difference between crystalline and amorphous solids are that crystalline solid’s atoms are arranged in a repetitive pattern while amorphous solid’s atoms are not arranged in any repetitive patterns

5. Part 1. What are all atoms continuously doing, and how does this change as temperature rises? Atoms are always in motion and when the temperatures rises they speed up

Part 2. When testing the air pressure in your car's tires, will the pressure be different after driving 50 miles? Why or why not?
Yes, the pressure will be different. When driving the tires will begin to heat up which in turn heats up the air pressure in your tires. As this air pressure heats up it causes the pressure itself to
increase

6. Is a snowflake a mineral? Explain.
Yes a snowflake is a mineral. Geologist define a mineral as any naturally occurring, inorganic solid that possesses an orderly crystalline structure and a well-defined chemical composition. Snowflakes occur naturally when water from clouds freeze while falling from the sky. Snowflakes are actually crystals so they are crystalline in structure and they have a chemical composition of H2O in solid crystal form.

7. Thoroughly explain the definition of a mineral.
Geologist define a mineral as any naturally occurring, inorganic solid that possesses an orderly crystalline structure and a well-defined chemical composition. This means that a mineral is a non-living object not made by man with a chemical makeup and in solid form with a repetitive atomic structure

8.
Look at figure 3.2 in your text. Shown is quartz with well developed crystal faces. Does quartz always grow to show crystal faces? Why or why not? -5% from quiz

9. Is quartz always “crystalline”? Why or why not?
Yes quartz is always crystalline because it has a repetitive atomic structure all minerals are, by definition, crystalline

10. What is cleavage? What causes it? Why doesn’t quartz have cleavage?
Cleavage is when a mineral breaks along an area of weak bonding. Stress causes cleavage. Quartz doesn’t have cleavage because quartz lacks any planes of weak bonding. when quartz breaks the pieces that break off have shapes that do not look alike, when a mineral has cleavage the pieces that break off all have the same shape

11. Can a mineral lacking cleavage still have crystal faces? Explain.
Yes a mineral lacking cleavage can still have crystal faces, take quartz for example it doesn’t have cleavage and can’t but it can have a crystal face cleavage and crystal form have independent causes

12. How many minerals (not elements) compose most of Earth's
crust?
2 minerals compose 90% of Earth’s crust and they are from the Silicates Mineral Group they are Feldspar and Quartz there are a few dozen common rock-forming minerals

13. How many elements compose the minerals that make up most of Earth’s crust?
8 elements compose most of Earth’s crust. They are oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium

14. Which mineral can be scratched with a knife and effervesces (fizzes) in dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) or even in warm vinegar?
Calcite can be scratched with a knife and effervesces (fizzes) in dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) or even in warm vinegar

15. What mineral is “fools gold”? (Use a household dictionary.) What is the chemical composition (formula) of that mineral?
Pyrite is usually referred to as “Fool’s Gold” because of its resemblance to gold. The Chemical Composition is FeS2

16. Of all the minerals in Earth's crust, 95% belong to a group called "silicates." What is the difference in meaning between the terms silicate and silicon?
Silicate is a mineral molecule while silicon is an element

17. Silicates are further divided into 2 groups: nonferromagnesian silicates (light in color, low in specific gravity) and ferromagnesian silicates (dark in color, high in specific gravity). What is the basic cause of the difference in color and specific gravity between these two groups?
The cause of the color and specific gravity difference between nonferromagnesian silicates and ferromagnesian silicates is the absence or presence of iron and magnesium

18. What is the difference between a rock and a mineral? (Do not borrow phrasing from the textbook.)
A rock consists of minerals sometimes one or more and other elements while a mineral consist of element also sometimes more than one. Rocks are formed from minerals but minerals are not formed from rocks, also minerals are crystals in structure or crystalline A rock is simply an “aggregate of minerals” with the exceptions of obsidian (not crystalline) and coal (not inorganic).