Aretas N. Ndimofor
Crystallography and Mineralogy when fully understood, provide the solid foundation necessary for the comprehension of the other topics in Ordinary and Advanced Level Geology. Unfortunately, many students and teachers see Crystallography and Mineralogy as “challenging topics” which require the assimilation and memorization of a large number of facts. The Fundamentals of Crystallography and Mineralogy solves this challenge by reference to everyday examples of things we see around us and through the Competence Based Approach which takes the learners out of the pages of textbooks or the models and samples displayed in laboratories.The first chapter of the textbook covers Crystallography from the unit cell through the external crystal features to crystallographic axes and crystal classification into systems and classes.The second chapter covers in detail the basic notions of Mineralogy, from the origin of minerals through the physical properties of minerals to the classification of minerals into silicates and non-silicates based on chemical composition.At the end of each chapter, there are a handful of hands-on activities and study questions that will fully equip the learners for the end of course examinations. This textbook is not only suitable for Ordinary and Advanced Level and first year university Geology students and teachers, but also anyone interested in Crystallography and Mineralogy.
