Optical Mineralogy Questions And Answers Pdf

[Karriem Drewery]

Exercise1: Reagents, Compositions, Weight LossNotes for instructors (Acrobat (PDF) 15kB Jul8 05) Exercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 6kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 12kB Jul7 05)

Description: A short experimental study of several different compounds and what happens to them when they are heated.

Content Goals: This exercise is a review of formulas, atomic weights, moles and grams, and converting weights to percents, etc.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: To achieve success, students must understand and apply basic chemical principles. After completing the experiments they must analyze and interpret their results.

Other goals: Students learn the importance of good, careful lab technique and of taking good notes.

Exercise 2: Calculating Oxide Weight Percents from Formulae and Normalizing Chemical AnalysesNotes for instructors (Acrobat (PDF) 12kB Jul7 05) Exercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 30kB Jul8 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 14kB Jul8 05)

Description: This exercise involves converting chemical analyses to mineral formulas, and mineral formulas to oxide and element weight percents.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: This exercise involves application of basic chemical principles.

Exercise 3: Properties of MineralsExercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 356kB Jul8 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 40kB Jul8 05)

Description: Students examine a number of key mineral properties and how they are displayed by different minerals.

Content Goals: Students learn about the details and subtle implications of some key mineral properties.

Exercise 5: Properties of Minerals and Intro to Polarizing MicroscopesExercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 1.3MB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 97kB Jul7 05)

Description: Continue the study of the physical properties of minerals and an introduction to a petrographic microscope.

Content Goals: Become more familiar with mineral properties. Become familiar with the basic components of a petrographic microscope and with the most important mineral optical properties.

Exercise 6: Private Mineral Project - Part 1Notes for instructors (Acrobat (PDF) 7kB Jul7 05) Exercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 19kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 15kB Jul7 05)

Description: Students begin to work on their semester-long private mineral project.

Content Goals: To learn just about everything about one particular mineral.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Synthesize information of many different sorts to create a complete picture.

Other Goals: Introduction to working with graphics, digital images, and fundamental web page creation. Learn to prepare a formal manuscript for publication.

Exercise 7: Crystallizing Minerals from Aqueous Solutions - Part INotes for instructors (Acrobat (PDF) 12kB Jul7 05) Exercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 10kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 10kB Jul13 05)

Description: Students dissolve selected salts and other compounds in water, let the water evaporate, and examine the crystals that grow.

Content Goals: To learn about the ways minerals crystallized from aqueous solutions

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Learn to think about crystal shapes and to classify them in a logical way.

Other Goals: To continue to improve experimental technique.

Exercise 8: Introduction to X-ray diffractionExercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 146kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 13kB Jul7 05)

Description: Students collect X-ray diffraction patterns for the experimental products obtained in Exercise 1.

Content Goals: Learn to operate an X-ray diffractometer.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Students must synthesize X-ray diffraction results with weight loss experiments conducted earlier.

Other goals: Students learn to deal with ambiguity.

Exercise 9: First Look at Crystal ShapesExercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 5kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 7kB Jul7 05)

Description: A short and simple exercise requiring students to examine and compare different crystal shapes.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: This exercise is intended to start students thinking about ways to describe and classify crystal shapes, and also about the significance of crystal shape.

Exercise 10: The properties of Amphiboles, Micas, Pyroxenes, and Olivines and an Introduction to Mineral Properties in Thin SectionExercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 92kB Jul13 05)

Description: Students look at mafic igneous minerals, learning to distinguish and identify them in hand specimen. They also look at a few of the minerals in thin section. properties.

Content Goals: Learn to identify mafic minerals. Be able to identify and describe the properties of minerals seen in thin section. Learn the basic techniques of optical mineralogy.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Students learn to group and classify minerals according to their physical properties.

Exercise 11: Examination of the Quartz, Feldspathoids, Feldspar, Zeolite Group and other Framework SilicatesExercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 9kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 12kB Jul7 05)

Description: Students study hand samples of light-colored igneous minerals and related mineral species. They look at some of the same minerals, and others, in thin section.

Content Goals: Learn to identify important light-colored minerals. Learn to identify the most important minerals in thin section.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Begin to think about why minerals of the same chemical group have similar properties.

Exercise 14: A Last Look at Igneous Minerals in Thin SectionDescription: Wrap-up exercise reviewing the properties of the most important igneous minerals in thin section.

Content Goals: Learn to identify key igneous minerals in thin section.

Other Goals: Improve skill with a petrographic microscope.

Exercise 15: Sedimentary and Related MineralsExercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 9kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 10kB Jul7 05)

Description: An introduction to sedimentary minerals and rocks.

Content Goals: Learn to identify the most important sedimentary minerals in hand specimen and in thin section.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Identify key properties useful for mineral identification.

Exercise 16: Synthetic Alkali HalidesNotes for instructors (Acrobat (PDF) 1.1MB Jul7 05) Exercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 5.2MB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 46kB Jul7 05)

Description: A complex experimental investigation of the melting of alkali halides. This project takes more than one class and involves using an X-ray diffractometer.

Content Goals: Be able to explain what a solvus is and to interpret solvus diagrams.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Understand the nature of experimental studies. Learn to deal with ambiguous experimental results. Learn to combine information of different sorts to reach conclusions/interpretations.

Other Goals: Improve experimental technique.

Exercise 17: Fun With AsbestosNotes for instructors (Acrobat (PDF) 7kB Jul7 05) Exercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 37kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 21kB Jul7 05)

Description: A practical application of optical mineralogy involving identification of some asbestiform minerals.

Content Goals: Become familiar with mineral properties in thin section. Learn to distinguish asbsestiform and related minerals from each other.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Learn to sift data in order to identify that which is key to solving a problem.

Other Goals: Realize that science has practical and meaningful applications.

Exercise 19: Metamorphic Rocks and MineralsExercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 12kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 12kB Jul7 05)

Description: Introduction to the most important metamorphic minerals and rocks.

Content Goals: Learn to identify key metamorphic minerals and rocks in hand specimen and thin section.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Identify key properties useful for mineral identification.

Exercise 23: SymmetryExercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 119kB Jul7 05)

Description: An introduction to the basic symmetry elements.

Content Goals: Be able to identify symmetry in atomic strutures, crystals or other objects.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Develop ability to recognize patterns and to deal with abstract concepts.

Exercise 25: Photographing MineralsDescription: Students take digital photographs of mineral specimens and learn how to manipulate them with Photoshop.

Content Goals: A practical lesson in digital photography.

Exercise 26: Point GroupsExercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 300kB Jul7 05)

Description: This exercise involves identifying symmetry in crystals and using that information to assign crystals to crystal systems and point groups.

Content Goals: Become familiar with the crystal systems and the 32 point groups and be able to assign crystals to the correct ones.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Identification, analysis, and application of abstract properties (symmetry) useful for mineral identifictation.

Exercise 28: Private Mineral - Part 2 (see Exercise 6)Description: Continuation of the private mineral project started earlier in the semester

Content Goals: Learn more about the nature/properties of one "private" mineral. Apply ideas about symmetry to minerals.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Combine/integrate information of many different sorts and understand how it fits together.

Exercise 29: Symmetry 3Exercise Word (RTF) file (Rich Text File 2kB Jul7 05) Exercise pdf file (Acrobat (PDF) 7kB Jul7 05)

Description: Summary exercise involving identification of crystal systems and point groups, and construction of stereo diagrams.

Content Goals: Learn to identify symmetry. Become familiar with the crystal systems and the 32 point groups and be able to assign crystals to the correct ones. Be able to construct stereo diagrams for crystals of different shapes.

Higher Order Thinking Goals: Describe real objects (crystals) with abstract concepts such as symmetry and stereo diagrams.

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