50
In this course, An introduction to minerals and rocks under the microscope, you will experience the study of minerals using a polarising microscope.
FREE
This course includes
Hours of videos
15 hours, 20 minutes
Units & Quizzes
56
Unlimited Lifetime access
Access on mobile app
Certificate of Completion
While the study of minerals can involve electron or ion beam chemical analysis, the polarising microscope remains the prime tool for the study of rock thin sections and is the foundation of learning to recognise, characterise and identify rocks.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- Understand the facts, concepts, principles, theories, classification systems and language associated with minerals and rocks
- Use the essential terms, concepts and strategies of mineralogy
- Apply knowledge and understanding of the study of rock thin sections using a polarising microscope
- Work with and recognise a variety of minerals and microtextures in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks
- Make systematic descriptions and identifications of minerals in rocks, observing them using images of thin sections viewed under a polarising microscope, and deduce how and in what environments the minerals and rocks were formed.
Course Currilcum
- Introduction 00:15:00
- Learning outcomes 00:10:00
-
- Introduction 01:00:00
- States of matter 00:20:00
- Physical properties of minerals in hand specimen 00:10:00
- Crystal shape 00:20:00
- Colour 00:10:00
- Lustre 00:10:00
- Cleavage 00:10:00
- Density 00:10:00
- Hardness 00:15:00
- The atomic structure of crystals 00:05:00
- Metallic structures and bonding 00:10:00
- Ionic structures and bonding 00:15:00
- Covalent structures and bonding 00:20:00
- Crystal defects and twinning 00:20:00
- Crystal symmetry and shape 00:04:00
- Crystal symmetry 00:15:00
- Crystal lattices and unit cells 00:20:00
- Crystal systems 00:20:00
- Summary of Section 1 00:15:00
- Learning outcomes for Section 1 00:15:00
-
- Minerals and the microscope 00:07:00
- The nature of light 00:10:00
- Colour 00:10:00
- Refraction 00:07:00
- Minerals and polarised light 00:10:00
- Isotropic and anisotropic materials 00:10:00
- Double refraction 00:10:00
- Pleochroism 00:10:00
- Extinction positions 00:15:00
- Interference colours 00:30:00
- Introduction to the polarising microscope 00:10:00
- Minerals in thin section 00:45:00
- Summary of Section 2 00:20:00
- Learning outcomes for Section 2 00:20:00
- Pyroxene 00:10:00
- Amphibole 00:45:00
- Sheet silicate minerals 00:15:00
- The mica group 00:20:00
- Clay minerals 00:10:00
- Other sheet silicates 00:20:00
- Framework silicates 00:05:00
- Silica minerals 00:20:00
- Feldspars 01:00:00
