Lecture: 2 hours/week
and
Lab: 4 hours/week
The primary mode of instruction will involve lectures and laboratories. Field trips may be required.
1. Introduction to minerals
- Definition of a mineral
- Mineral resources and uses in society
2. Crystal chemistry and crystal structure
- Elements, natural abundances, chemical bonding
- Controls on crystal structure, isostructuralism, polymorphism, compositional variations
- Graphical representation of mineral compositions
3. Mineral growth
- Mineral stability and reactions
- Introduction to Gibbs phase rule and phase diagrams
- Twinning and other crystallization and post crystallization processes
4. Mineral identification and classification
- Mineral classes, groups, series, species, varieties
- Relationship between physical properties of minerals, their chemical composition, and crystal structure
- Mineral identification in hand sample
- Analytical techniques for mineral identification
5. Mineral occurrence and environment of formation
- Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, and hydrothermal occurrences
6. Crystallography and crystal systems
- Symmetry elements, crystal forms and crystal systems
Upon completion of the course, successful students will be able to:
- describe the various physical and chemical techniques used to identify minerals;
- identify and classify rock-forming and economically important minerals from hand samples;
- describe the factors that influence crystal structure;
- explain the chemical and structural characteristics of the major mineral classes;
- describe the compositional variations of common rock-forming minerals;
- illustrate the compositional variations of rock-forming minerals, mineral stability fields and mineral reactions on binary and ternary diagrams;
- use mineral chemistry and structure to explain or predict the environments of formation of minerals and mineral associations;
- explain how the symmetrical arrangement of crystal faces (crystal form) relates to the internal crystalline structure;
- identify the point symmetry group and crystal forms of crystals and crystal models, and classify them into crystal systems.
Assessment will be carried out in accordance with the ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a writtten course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following:
Lecture assignments/homework: 0-10%
Lecture quizzes: 0-10%
Term projects: 0-10%
Lab assignments: 9-20%
Lab exams(s): 20-30%
Term test(s): 15-25%
Final exam: 25-30%
Total: 100%
Consult the ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Example textbooks and materials may include:
Perkins, D. (Current Edition). Mineralogy. Open Textbook.
Nesse, W.D. & G.B. Baird. (Current Edition). Introduction to Mineralogy. Oxford University Press.
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