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 Douglas College Evaluation 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 Douglas College Bookstore 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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