GROUP 4&5

• What is mineralogy?

  The scientific study of minerals
• Why is mineralogy crucial for civil engineering?

  It aids in resource identification and understanding geological processes
• What properties of minerals are important in civil engineering?

  Hardness, durability, and resistance to weathering
• How do quartz and feldspar contribute to granite's properties?

  They provide strength to the material
• What is a crystal?

  A solid with a repeating atomic pattern
• What is crystallization?

  The process of crystal formation from substances
• What are the three main ways crystals form?

  1. Cooling of magma
  2. Precipitation
  3. Metamorphism
• What happens during the cooling of magma?

  Atoms arrange into solid crystal structures
• What is the effect of slow cooling on crystal size?

  It produces large crystals
• How does precipitation lead to crystal formation?

  Dissolved minerals crystallize as water evaporates
• Where does precipitation commonly occur?

  In salt flats, caves, and seawater
• What is metamorphism in relation to crystals?

  Heat and pressure rearrange minerals into new structures
• How do diamonds and graphite differ despite being made of carbon?

  Their different crystal structures give them different uses
• What is a lattice in crystal structure?

  An infinite periodic array of points in space
• What is a basis in crystal structure?

  A group of atoms associated with lattice points
• What are the two types of crystals?

  1. Polycrystal
  2. Single crystal
• What characterizes a polycrystal?

  Its periodicity is not maintained throughout
• What characterizes a single crystal?

  Its periodicity is maintained throughout
• What is a unit cell in crystal structure?

  The smallest building block of a crystal
• What are the types of cubic crystal systems?

  1. Simple Cubic (SC)
  2. Face-Centered Cubic (FCC)
  3. Body-Centered Cubic (BCC)
• What defines a simple cubic structure?

  Particles are only at the corners of unit cells
• What defines a face-centered cubic structure?

  Particles are at the face centers and corners
• What defines a body-centered cubic structure?

  Particles are at the body center and corners
• What are the seven unique arrangements of crystal structures?

  1. Simple Cubic
  2. Tetragonal
  3. Orthorhombic
  4. Rhombohedral
  5. Monoclinic
  6. Triclinic
  7. Hexagonal
• What are physical properties of crystals?

  Observable characteristics without changing composition
• What is hardness measured on?

  The Mohs scale
• What does a hardness rating of 10 on the Mohs scale indicate?

  It is the hardest natural material
• What is cleavage in crystals?

  The ability to break along specific planes
• What is fracture in crystals?

  Irregular breakage when cleavage is absent
• What does luster describe in crystals?

  How a crystal's surface reflects light
• What does color in crystals depend on?

  The crystal’s chemical composition and impurities
• What gives amethyst its purple hue?

  Iron impurities within its quartz structure
• What does specific gravity measure in crystals?

  A crystal's density compared to water
• Why is specific gravity important in identifying minerals?

  It helps understand their weight and stability
• What does transparency in crystals refer to?

  The ability to transmit light
• What is refraction in crystals?

  The bending of light as it passes through
• What is birefringence in crystals?

  When a crystal splits light into two rays
• How does chemical composition affect a crystal's stability?

  It influences durability and reactivity
• What are common engineering minerals and their uses?

  • Quartz: Glassmaking, concrete
  • Feldspar: Ceramics, glass production
  • Calcite: Cement, limestone aggregate
  • Gypsum: Plaster, drywall
  • Clay minerals: Bricks, ceramics
• What is the chemical composition of quartz?

  SiO2 - Silicon Dioxide