Understanding minerals and crystals

Minerals & Crystals takes a close look at minerals, how they form, why they differ and how to go about identifying them.
22211
978-1-4317-0084-4
sofort lieferbar
neu
19,95 € *

Title: Understanding minerals and crystals
Author: Terence McCarthy; Bruce Cairncross
Genre: Mineral and Crystal Guide
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa 2015
ISBN 9781431700844 / ISBN 978-1-4317-0084-4
Softcover, 17 x 24 cm, 304 pages, 500 photographs, 140 illustrations

Description:

Understanding Minerals and Crystals explains the science behind mineralogy in non-technical language, looks attractive and has appeal to a wider audience. Newcomers to mineral collecting and those seeking to know what minerals are, how they form, why they differ in their physical properties and how they should go about identifying them will find this book useful. But so, too, will experienced collectors who wish to know more about the theory behind mineral formation. Students enrolled for introductory mineralogy courses at universities across the world will find the book particularly valuable.

Content: Understanding Minerals and Crystals

POWERING POSSIBILITY
ATOMS: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF MINERALS

The nucleus
The distribution of electrons around the nucleus
The Periodic Table
The Periodic Table and the properties of atoms
Abundances of elements
The abundances of elements on Earth
CHEMICAL BONDING AND THE FORMATION OF MINERALS
The covalent bond
The ionic bond
Bonds intermediate between covalent and ionic
The metallic bond
Van der Waals bonds
Mixed bonding
THE FORMATION OF CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
The structure of ionic and metallic bonded solids
The structure of metals
Structures with ionic bonding
Structures with covalent bonding
Structures with mixed bonding
The origin of crystal faces
Ionic substitution in minerals
Polymorphism
Crystal growth
Twinned crystals
Pseudomorphism
THE MORPHOLOGY OF CHRSTALS
Natural crystals vs crystal models
Elements of symmetry
Crystallographic systems
Common crystal classes
Describing crystals
Twinned crystals
THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS
Density and specific gravity
Properties that depend on light
Mechanical properties
Magnetic properties
Habit
Reaction with hydrochloric acid
MINERAL CLASSIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION
Classification
Identification
Key to minerals
NATIVE ELEMENTS
SULPHIDES
OXIDES AND HYDROXIDES
HALIDES
CARBONATES
SULPHATES
PHOSPHATES AND VANADATES
TUNGSTATES
SILICATES

Nesosilicates
Sorosilicates
Cyclosilicates
Inosilicates
Phyllosilicates
Tectosilicates
APPENDIX 1: ABUNDANCES OF ELEMENTS
APPENDIX 2: MAKING YOUR OWN CHRYSTAL MODELS
FURTHER READING AND SCOURCES
PHOTOGRAPHIC CREDITS
GLOSSARY
INDEX
INTRODUCTION