Geology 360: Mineralogy

Fall 1995

Instructors:

Jill Banfield, Room 315

Philip Brown, Room 365

Gordon Medaris, Room 387


Teaching Assistants:

Tuesday : Katrina Edwards, Room 335

Wednesday: Scott Sitzman, Room 151

Thursday : Jane Van Heteren, Room 281

Syllabus



Initials on the left indicate the lecturer for the day indicated . Initials on the right indicate the book intended for the reading assignment.

Week 1

Lab 1:Introductory laboratory: Symmetry of Wisconsin

Week 2

Lab 2: Symmetry 2D & 3D point symmetry

Week 3

Lab 6: X-ray diffraction analysis

Week 7

Lab 7: Optics 1

Week 8

Lab 8: Optics 2

Week 9

Lab 9: Optics 3

Week 10

Lab 10: Optics 4

Week 11

Lab 11: Quartz, feldspars

Week 12

OPTICS LAB EXAM


Week 13

Lab 12: Sheet silicates & amphiboles

Week 14

Lab 13: Pyroxenes & orthosilicates

Week 15

MINERALS LAB EXAM


There will be a comprehensive final in the scheduled final exam week!!!!
*1 Skip the section at the lower right of p. 56 that begins with "If the ray direction for the ordinary ..." and skip Figure 6.6

General Information

Texts:

Please make sure that you keep up with the reading - the page numbers for each topic are shown above.

Labs:
We encourage you to work together in the lab sessions - the labs must be handed in to the TAs. You have one week to complete them. The labs will be corrected and assigned a grade that contributes directly to your course grade:(check +) = 100%, (check) = 66%, (check-) = 33%, nothing handed in = 0%! The lab score = 1/8 of your final grade.

Examination:
The above schedule contains 5 exams:

  1. ~ 50 min. crystallography exam on Friday 10/6. This exam will be held during the lecture period and will cover all material covered in the section of the course up to and including 9/27 = 1/8 of the final grade.
  2. The ~ 50 min class exam on Friday 11/10 will cover optics theory = 1/8 of the final grade.
  3. The 2 hr lab exam on 11/20 or 11/21 or 11/22 will cover practical optical mineralogy = 1/8 of the final grade.
  4. The lab final during the last week of class will cover all the minerals you have studied, silicates as well as non-silicates. This will include lecture and laboratory material! = 1/4 of the final grade.
  5. The comprehensive final written examination on Monday December 18, 1995 at 7:45 a.m. = 1/4 of the final grade. Note that although there will be no separate exams on the electron microprobe, formula renormalization, X-ray diffraction, etc. this material will be covered in the comprehensive final!

There will be a variety of regular lab exercises and weekly or biweekly quizzes in the lab.

Summary on grades:
The course grade will be based on an average made up of your exam scores (=7/8) plus a lab (=1/8) score to be supplied by your TA. The lab score will be determined by the marks assigned on corrected lab exercises as well other short quizzes to be given during the semester. Note: although the lab score is worth only 1/8 of the final grade, your performance on examinations will rely very strongly on your understanding of this material. Furthermore, the labs will closely reflect material covered in lectures, so it is essential that you hand in and then review your corrected laboratory work!!

Field trip:
You are all strongly encouraged to take part in the 2 day field trip. We will camp 1 night and look at a variety of minerals in northern/central Wisconsin. Because this trip is optional it is essential that you inform us within the first two weeks of the semester whether you will be coming (and that you also turn up for the trip if you say you are going to!). The trip will not involve a cost to you, other than your food and any camping equipment you choose to buy. The department uses gift funds to pay for the bus (Weeks Bequest).