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B006273 - MINERALOGY
Main information
Teaching Language
Course Content
Suggested readings
Learning Objectives
Prerequisites
Teaching Methods
Type of Assessment
Course program
Academic Year 2011-12
Course year
Second year - First Semester
Belonging Department
Earth Sciences (DST)
Course Type
Single education field course
Scientific Area
GEO/06 - MINERALOGY
Credits
9
Teaching Hours
80
Teaching Term
26/09/2011 ⇒ 22/12/2011
Attendance required
No
Type of Evaluation
Final Grade
Course Content
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Course program
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Lectureship
Teaching Language
Italian
Course Content
Basic knowledge of mineralogy for the study of the mineral behaviour in relation to petrologic and geodynamic processes and their applications in materials of industrial and gemmological interest, and in the field of cultural heritage.
Suggested readings (Search our library's catalogue)
C. KleinManual of Mineral Science (22 nd. Ed.) 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.C. KleinManual of Mineral Science (22 nd. Ed.) 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Learning Objectives
Identification of crystal symmetry preliminary to optical observations and to mineral crystalchemical description.Basic knowledge of principles and concepts involved in description and identification of minerals (physical and structural properties).Deep knowledge of rock-forming minerals.Competence in reading of basic mineralogical literature.
Prerequisites
Courses required: ChemistryCourses recommended: Physics (optics)
Teaching Methods
Lectures supplemented by tutorials and exercises in order to obtain a continuous monitoring of students' understanding
Type of Assessment
Oral examination
Course program
Genetic processes of minerals. Crystalline and amorphous state. Crystal morphology and symmetry. Periodicity, lattice and unit cell. X-ray diffraction. Bragg equation. Anisotropy and physical properties. Density, hardness, elettric and magnetic properties, cleavage. Optical properties: refractive index, birifrangence, indicatrices for uniaxial and biaxial minerals, optical sign. Interference figures. Chemical bonds in minerals. Ionic radii and coordination polyhedra: the effects of temperature and pressure. Solid solutions: isomorphic substitutions. Crystal-chemical formulae. Polymorphism: displacive and reconstructive transitions and their significance in the interpretation of petrologic processes. Rock-forming silicate minerals: nesosilicates (olivine, garnet, zircon, aluminum silicates); sorosilicates (epidotes and melilites); cyclosilicates (beryl and tourmaline); inosilicates (pyroxenes and amphiboles); fillosilicates (micas and clay minerals); tectosilicates (silica minerals, feldspars, feldspathoids). Main non-silicate minerals: metal elements, diamond, graphite, sulfur, halite, fluorite, spinels, hematite, corundum, pyrite, galena, sphalerite, calcite, aragonite, dolomite, anhydride, gypsum, apatite.