1. Define mineral.
2. Use the example of NaCl (table salt), fig. 4.1, to discuss a mineral’s definite and invariable internal structure (combinations of atoms arranged in certain patterns).
3. Why do salt grains form cubes?
4. Give the chemical composition of quartz, one of the most common minerals.
5. Describe the basic structural unit of quartz. (see fig. 4.1b)
6. Describe the internal (crystalline) structure of quartz.
7. List the eight elements that constitute 98.5% of the weight of the crust.
8. Which two elements are the most abundant in the crust, by far?
9. Why is silicates the most abundant group of minerals?
10. Which elements are seen in dark colored, mafic minerals, but are not abundant in light colored, felsic minerals? (Also see table 4.1)
11. Is olivine a mafic or felsic mineral? (See table 4.1)
12. Is pyroxene a mafic or felsic mineral? (See table 4.1)
13. Is biotite mica a mafic or felsic mineral? (See table 4.1)
14. Is feldspar a mafic or felsic mineral? (See table 4.1)
15. Is quartz a mafic or felsic mineral? (See table 4.1)
16. Give the chemical composition of calcite, the mineral that forms most beaches in Hawaii.
17. Kaolinite and montmorillonite are both clay minerals that form from the chemical disintegration of basalt and form much of the soil in Hawaii. Are they silicates?