Segment One: The Magic of Minerals
This video segment introduces students to the science of mineralogy. The video traces the history of human knowledge of minerals, from primitive human folklore to the development of Dana’s System of Mineralogy in 1854. Students explore the mystery surrounding the famous Hope Diamond and other “precious” stones. Students also learn about crystal growth, crystal structure and the six basic crystal systems, each illustrated with a model. Crystals are shown to have planes, axes and centers of symmetry. Students watch crystals growing from a solution through special photography. This video segment concludes with several examples of unusual growth habits in crystals.
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