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How does the arrangement of atoms into crystalline structures help geologists identify minerals?
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
The way a mineral naturally breaks is called its cleavage. The number and orientation of cleavages can help identify a mineral. For instance, micas have a single cleavage, and break up into flat plates. Pyroxines have two cleavages at 90 degrees to each other, and break into square prisms. Calcite has three at 120 degrees, and naturally breaks into rhombs. Different minerals may have the same cleavage, but it helps to narrow down a mineral's identity.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoa minerals atoms can be arranged into different shaped crystals, for example...
galena crystals are cubic and quarts crystals are a six sides hexagon and geologist study them with magnifying glasses to or microscopes to help identify the mineral
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoUnderstanding crystallography, while not particularly easy, is a very useful tool to help identify unknown minerals. The crystal shape, or system, is one of many clues that will help to winnow down the list of possible suspects, possibly saving expensive and time consuming analytical work.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoThe arrangement of particles in a mineral and the kind of bonds holding them together determine properties such as crystal shape, hardness, and the way the crystal breaks apart.
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How can geologists identify terrane?
By looking at it
Geologists use unconformities to identify?
Gaps in time in the rock record
What are index and what do geologists learn from them?
Index fossils are very important to geologists because they identify geological. The fossil snail is a particularly difficult animal to study.
Can you use crystals you identify minerals?
Yes. Minerals have a crystalline structure and specific crystal properties which aid in their identification.
How the characteristics of an index fossil are useful to geologists?
It gives information to scientists about the past. It also provides a reference of time throught rock layers. It can identify and define geological periods of time.
How can geologists identify terrane?
By looking at it
Geologists use unconformities to identify?
Gaps in time in the rock record
What are index and what do geologists learn from them?
Index fossils are very important to geologists because they identify geological. The fossil snail is a particularly difficult animal to study.
How do geologists identify the minerals too small to be seen in a hand specimen?
color streak and luster
What are ways geologists use to identify minerals?
they have to look at the mineral.see what color it is.see the shape.how does it feel to you........?
Information on geologist?
What is a geologist? A geologist is a person who studies the Earth and the materials it's made up of (A.K.A. geology). Geologists are also the subject of this speech. There are many kinds of geologists like economic geologists and marine geologists are two examples but I'm just going to deal on the general geologist. A major science they use is Earth science. Earth Science is any of the basic geologic sciences that are connected with the source, arrangement, and physical phenomena of the earth. Using this science geologists can identify countless things. They also identify rocks & minerals. To help identify a mineral's hardness, geologists use Moh's Mineral Scale of Hardness. This scale lists 1-10 weakest to hardest minerals. Moh's Scale is very helpful to geologists. There is also a lot of math involved with geology. One of these is calculus. Calculus is analysis of numbers with special symbols. Calculus helps with making graphs, diagrams, 3-D and 2-D maps, etc. Plus, using calculus geologists can make mathematical models to find oil. Most geologists need to use calculus! SO CALCULUS IS VERY VERY important to Earth Science. Like I said before, geologists are very good at studying rocks. There are three types of rocks: Igneous which is formed by magma and/or lava, Sedimentary which is formed by tiny & big sediments and Metamorphic which is a rock changed by heat & pressure. An example of Igneous is Basalt, a sedimentary is shale and a metamorphic is quartzite. Guess who figured this out. GEOLOGISTS! If it weren't for geologists, we really wouldn't know what rocks were, are, and will be.
Which of the following is not a characteristic that geologists use to identify minerals A Fracture B Color c Streak D Softness?
Some characteristics geologists use to identify minerals are fracture, luster, streak, density, cleavage and hardness. From the choices given, D is the one that is not a characteristic.
What refers to the investigative process by which geologists identify and match sedimentary strata and other rocks of the same ages in different areas?
The investigative process by which geologists identify and match sedimentary strata and other rocks of the same ages in different areas is referred to as correlation.
What can identify salt?
The chemical composition, the crystalline structure, the taste, the melting and boiling point etc.
What is the system used to identify the arrangement of beats within a poem?
meter
What two ways geologists use the geologic column?
1.Geologists use the geologic column to help them interperet rocks sequences. 2.they use to help them identify rock layers in complicated rock sequence.
Identify three substances or structures involved in photosynthesis?
pokimon
