Learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
give, with an appropriate example, the meaning of the terms phase, phase boundary and phase transformation, and interpret stability fields in terms of pressures and/or temperatures using a phase diagram
describe and recognise, giving examples, various physical properties of minerals, including lustre, cleavage, hardness and density
describe, giving mineral examples, the main differences between metallic, ionic and covalent structures and their type of bonding
explain the significance of various types of defects in crystals
explain the meaning of the terms lattice, unit cell, reflections and rotational symmetry, and how these relate to crystal systems.