Introductory
Mineralogy EPSC210 (Fall Term 2008)
Lecturer: Jeanne
Paquette (jeannep@eps.mcgill.ca). Office:
FDA 214. Phone: 398-4402.
Teaching assistants: Jonathan
O’Neill <oneil_jo@eps.mcgill.ca>
Fraser Keppie <fkeppie@eps.mcgill.ca>
Christoph Helo <helo@eps.mcgill.ca>
Course timetable:
Lectures 11h30-12h30,
Tuesday & Thursday, FDA 211.
Laboratories 14h30-17h30,
Thursday or Friday (your choice), FDA
211.
I. Course objectives:
1) relate the principles of crystal chemistry
& structure to properties of minerals
2) learn the concepts of mineral
classification
3) develop identification
skills from observation of common minerals in hand specimens
II. Grading:
Assignments (4), lab reports (2): 20% Laboratory exams (three): 30%
Mid-term exam: 0-20% Final
exam : 30 % (50% if better than mid-term)
III. Textbook (at the McGill Bookstore):
"Introduction to
Mineralogy" by W.D. Nesse (2000).
IV.
Compulsory lab fee ($5). Other material, highly recommended for mineral
identification:
Hand lens 10x ($6), magnet ($7), streak
plate ($1), acid bottle ($2): sold as kit for $15;
pocket knife (optional, not
provided). Total: $20 (cash only).
V.
L’université
McGill attache une haute importance à l’honnêteté
académique. Il incombe par conséquent à tous les
étudiants de comprendre ce que l’on entend par tricherie, plagiat
et autres infractions académiques, ainsi que les conséquences que
peuvent avoir de telles actions, selon le Code de conduite de
l’étudiant et des procédures disciplinaires (pour de plus
amples renseignements, veuillez consulter le site www.mcgill.ca/integrity).
VI. Assignments,
tests and exams can be written in either English or in French.
VII. Course Plan (25 lectures):
-
Definition of minerals and crystals
-
Principles of crystallography crystal morphology, symmetry
operations, lattice symmetry,
point/space
groups, Miller notation of crystal forms, faces
- Aspects
of crystal growth from solutions & melts habit, structural defects, twinning
- Methods of crystal structure
determination powder and single-crystal X-ray
diffraction
- Chemical
bonding in crystal structures covalent, ionic, metallic, hydrogen,
VdW bonding,
coordination
polyhedra, Pauling's rules
- Effect
of temperature and pressure on crystal structure exsolution, order-disorder,
polymorphic
(displacive-reconstructive) transformations
MIDTERM
EXAM (50 min., on Tuesday
October 14, during our regular class time)
-
Principles of mineral classification chemical formulas of minerals, solid
solutions
VII. Course
Plan (continued):
-
Compositional diagrams and recalculation of formulas
-
Structure and properties of main mineral groups silicates, native elements, sulfides,
oxides,
hydroxides, halides, carbonates, sulfates, phosphates
-
Introduction to phase diagrams
exsolution,
order-disorder, equilibrium vs. fractional crystallization
FINAL
EXAM (3 hrs - scheduled during final exam period, in December 2008, TBA)
VIII. Laboratory Exercises:
- Week 1)
Overview of physical properties of minerals (report required)
- Week 2)
Crystallography: point groups and crystal morphology (report required)
- Mineral
identification from hand specimens, introduction to some optical properties
- Three
laboratory tests on mineral identification (Oct. 2-3, Oct. 30-31, and Nov.
27-28)
VII. Optional Week-End Field Trip to Bancroft
area,