Quizzes and Homeworks

Lab Exams

Lab Midterm Exam - Mineralogy and Crystallography
- Main Source of Material - Laboratory Exercises
- Must be able to identify minerals based on their Physical Properties
- Must understand basic concepts of mineral chemistry and structure
- Must understand and be able to implement basic symmetry elements and operations
- Test will be worth 300 points toward the Laboratory portion of your final grade
- The test will consist of the following things:
  - 50 Unknown Hand Samples
    - Identify the Mineral(s)
    - Answer the question associated with the sample
  - A couple of Structural Models
    - Be able to identify the structure and the sites found within it
    - Be able to answer basic questions about the structure
  - Wooden Block Crystal Models
    - Be able to plot the poles of the faces on a stereonet
    - Be able to identify and draw in the symmetry elements found in the crystal
  - Symmetry Elements and Operations
    - Be able to take a point and perform symmetry operations on it
    - Be able to show how symmetry operations act on each other
    - Be able to take a partial symmetry diagram and complete it
Lab Final Exam - Crystallography and Petrology
- Main Source of Material - Laboratory Exercises
- Must be able to identify and classify rocks based on their mineralogy and textures
- Must understand basic concepts of phase diagrams and how to use them
- Must be able to recognize and identify Bravais Lattices and their structural elements
- Must understand and be able to implement basic symmetry elements and operations
- Test will be worth 300 points toward the Laboratory portion of your final grade
- The test will consist of the following things:
  - 8 Hand Samples (1 per station)
    - Identify the Minerals
    - Classify and name the rock
    - Answer the questions associated with the sample
  - Igneous Phase Diagrams (1 per station)
    - Manipulate and interpret a binary phase diagram
    - Manipulate and interpret a ternary phase diagram
  - 4 Bravais Lattice Models (2 per station)
    - Be able to identify the lattice structure
    - Be able to list the lattice parameters (i.e. Crystal System, Axes, Angles, etc.)
  - 4 Wooden Block Crystal Models (2 per station)
    - Be able to plot the poles of the faces on a stereonet
    - Be able to identify and draw in the symmetry elements found in the crystal
  - Symmetry Elements and Operations (1 Station)
    - Be able to take a point and perform symmetry operations on it
    - Be able to show how symmetry operations act on each other
    - Be able to take a partial symmetry diagram and complete it

Quizzes

Quiz #1 - Oxidation States and Charge Balance
- Main Source of Information - Class handouts
- Table 3.8 - Valence States of Ions and Ionic Groups That Occur Abundantly in Rock-Forming Minerals
- Understand Valence States/Oxidation States
- Understand how periodic table relates to common valencies
- Understand Charge Balance
- Memorize common ions and ionic groups and their charges/valence states
- Know how to add charges to each other for charge balance
- Understand concepts of Electronegativity and Ionization Potential

Homeworks

Homework #1 - Conceptual Questions on Simple Structures - Download Copy Here.
- Originally part of Lab #2, but split out as its own entity to give you another opportunity to receive a grade.
- Expands on what was done in Laboratory Exercise #2.
- Deals with Native Elements, Hydroxides, and Halides.
- Requires you to use your textbook as a reference.
- Requires an understanding of Pauling's Rules, and how to apply them.
- Requires that you understand the relationship between Radius Ratio and C.N.
- Designed to help give you a greater understanding of cation polyhedra.
- Requires you to be able to visualize and reproduce polyhedra from several perspectives.
Homework #2 - Chemical Analyses & Calculations - Download Copy Here.
- Calculate Wt. % of Component Oxides for several minerals.
- Calculate mole % from Wt. % of component oxides.
- Calculate molar cation ratios.
- Determine chemical formula from these calculations.
- Determine possible mineral phase based on chemical formula.
- Calculate the composition of a mineral in a solid solution.
- Use the textbook as a reference!
Homework #3 - Chemical Analyses & Ternary Diagrams - Download Copy Here.
- Calculate the composition of a mineral in a solid solution.
- Calculate Wt. % of Component Oxides for several minerals.
- Calculate mole % from Wt. % of component oxides.
- Calculate molar cation ratios.
- Determine chemical formula from these calculations.
- Plot these mole fraction calculations onto Ternary Diagrams.
- Determine possible mineral phase based on chemical formula.
Homework #4 - Garnets, Amphiboles and Feldspars; Oh My! - Download Copy Here.
- Write out the pertinent chemical information for the garnet group.
- Fill in the Amphibole Quadrilateral with all end members and solid solution phase names and chemical formulas.
- Fill in the Feldspar Ternary Diagram with all end members and solid solution phase names and chemical formulas.
Homework #5 - Chemical Analyses & Physical Properties - Download Copy Here
- Calculate Wt. % of Component Oxides for a mineral in a solid solution.
- Calculate mole % from Wt. % of component oxides.
- Calculate molar cation ratios.
- Determine chemical formula from these calculations.
- Plot these mole fraction calculations onto Ternary Diagrams.
- Determine possible mineral phase based on chemical formula.
- Calculate Unit Cell Volume.
- Calculate mass of a unit cell.
- Calculate the Specific Gravity of a mineral based on these parameters.
Homework #6 - Using Stereonets - Download Copy Here
- Take interfacial angle information for a crystal and plot the faces on a stereonet
- Instructions for how to do this are in the handout
Homework #7 - Phase Diagrams - Download Copy Here
- Convert wt. % to Mole fraction
- Plot bulk compositions on a phase diagram
- Perform simple operations on a phase diagram to interpret what happens to a rock as it undergoes various processes
- Calculate compositions using the lever rule
- Identify phases present in a system under given conditions
Homework #8 - Calculating the CIPW Norm - Download Copy Here
- Take a bulk rock chemical analysis and convert to molecular numbers
- Use molecular numbers to determine amounts of normative constituents
- Convert amounts of normative constituents back to wt. %
- Use normative composition to determine rock type