Mineral Synthesis and X-Ray Diffraction Experiments

Dexter Perkins and Paul Sorensen

Univer

This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Activities collection and has been reviewed by 1 other review process (view details)

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Collection

Resources in this top level collection a) must have scored Exemplary or Very Good in all five review categories, and must also rate as "Exemplary" in at least three of the five categories. The five categories included in the peer review process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html.
This activity was peer reviewed prior to publication in the Teaching Mineralogy Workbook.

This teaching activity was originally published in: Brady, J., Mogk, D. W., and Perkins, D., (editors), 1997, "Teaching Mineralogy," a workbook published by the Mineralogical Society of America, 406 pp. All teaching activities in this volume received two external peer reviews from mineralogy faculty focused on content and pedagogy, and a final review by the co-editors to comply with the publication standards of the Mineralogical Society of America.

Initial Publication Date: May 9, 2008 | Reviewed: January 19, 2015 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

This 6-week laboratory activity has students working in groups of two or more to synthesize a mineral and then analyze their mineral using XRD.

Crystallography, X-ray Techniques, Geology | College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16)

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Context

Audience

This activity is designed for an undergraduate required course in mineralogy and is generally for sophomore or junior level students.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Students should know how to use a balance to obtain mass and have a general understanding of XRD and its data output.

How the activity is situated in the course

This activity is a stand-alone exercise, but is part of a larger volume of classroom and laboratory activities from "Teaching Mineralogy," a workbook published by the Mineralogical Society of America, Brady, J., Mogk, D. W., and Perkins, D., (editors), 1997,406 pp.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

This activity is designed to:

give students a better understanding of how and why mineralogical reactions occur
give students a practical introduction into the use of an X-ray diffractometer
teach students to be creative, critical and analytical in the face of confusing or ambiguous data
give students an understanding of, and appreciation for, the way scientists think and work.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

This activity involves data analysis.

Other skills goals for this activity

This activity aids students in operating analytical equipment and in working in groups.

Description of the activity/assignment

This 6-week laboratory activity has students working in groups of two or more to synthesize a mineral and then analyze their mineral using XRD.

Determining whether students have met the goals

Students have met the goals of this activity if they synthesize a mineral and are able to analyze their results.

More information about assessment tools and techniques.

Teaching materials and tips

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Other Materials

Assignment description, hand outs, and instructor's notes. (Microsoft Word 103kB May9 08)

Assignment description, hand outs, and instructor's notes. (Acrobat (PDF) 76kB May9 08)

Supporting references/URLs

Brady, J., Mogk, D. W., and Perkins, D., (editors), 1997, Teaching Mineralogy, a workbook published by the Mineralogical Society of America, 406 pp.

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