GEOL 1121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Native Copper, Gold, Petrology
17 Mar 2018
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Document Summary
Element: all atoms of materials have same number of protons. Number = atomic number = number of protons. Most elements do not occur as pure substances in nature. Others include: native copper, native platinum, native sulfur. Minerals can be identified on the basis of crystal shape, density, chemical composition, atomic structure, hardness (and many other physical properties) Ice is a mineral but water is not definition somewhat arbitrary. Atoms arranged in a regular, repeating order. Na:cl = 1:1, and atomic structure repeats regularly in 3 dimensions. Cubic crystalline structure evidenced in crystal shape or form . Cleavage fragments (produced by breaking the crystal) can also reflect the cubic arrangement of its atoms this is common in minerals. In most minerals, the atoms are bonded ionically by attraction between + and - ions (atoms with unequal number of protons and electrons) Most minerals are made up of some combination of elements of rows 2, 3, & 4 (on periodic table)
