Download Wk2-ES9-Mineral-Groups

Earth Science
Week 2
Mrs. Rubright
 Minerals have always been one of people’s most prized
possessions.
 For centuries people have traveled great distances, fought battles
and worked dangerous jobs to get their hands on minerals
 Minerals are still valuable today
 We wear diamonds
 We build with iron
 We sprinkle salt on our food
 We wrap our food in aluminum foil
 And we treat cancer with uranium
 An emerald, a grain of salt, and a nugget of gold look
nothing alike and have very different characteristics
 But they have one thing in common, they are all
minerals
 A Mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that
has a definite chemical composition and a definite
crystalline structure
 Mineralogy is the study of minerals
 Around 3800 minerals are already known and scientists are
discovering more all the time.
 To determine if a substance is a mineral, scientists ask
four basic questions. If they can answer yes to all four,
then the substance is classified as a mineral.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Is the substance natural? Minerals are formed by natural
processes not by humans
Is the substance inorganic? An Inorganic Substance is not
made up of living things or the remains of living things
Is the substance a crystalline solid at room temperature?
Substances normally exist as solids, liquids, or gases.
Minerals are always solids. A Crystalline Solid has particles
arranged in a regular, repeating, three-dimensional pattern.
Does the substance have a definite chemical composition?
Chemical Composition is the relative abundance of different
types of atoms in the substance
 What four basic characteristics do all minerals share?
 Is a fossilized bone a mineral? Why or why not?
 Just as God created plants and animals in such a way that they
can be organized into groups, he created minerals in an orderly
way
 Minerals are categorized into two major groups:
 Silicate Minerals
Quartz
Feldspar
 Non-silicate Minerals
Mica
Talc
 Silicate Minerals contain a combination of silicon and oxygen
 Four of the most common silicates are:
 Quartz is made up of only silicon and oxygen and usually has six-sided
crystals. Most quarts crystals look like clear or colored glass.
Most silicate are made up of not only silicon and oxygen, but also other
elements
 Feldspar minerals are silicates that are the most common mineral in the
Earth’s crust and are the main component of most of the rocks on the Earth’s
surface.
 Mica are soft and shiny silicate minerals that form extremely thin sheets
called books, which can easily be separated with a knife.
 Talc is a silicate that is the softest known mineral. Talcum powder comes
from talc.
96 percent of the Earth’s crust is made up of
Silicates and Feldspars make up about half of that
 Non-Silicate Minerals are all minerals that do not
contain silicon and oxygen.
 Non-Silicate minerals are classified into major groups depending
on their chemical make-up.
 Such as Native elements, Carbonates, Halides, Oxides, Sulfates
and Sulfides.
Only 4 percent of the Earth’s crust is made up of
Non-Silicates
 Gemstones are minerals whose beauty, durability, and
rarity make them valuable.
 Gemstones usually form inside gas pockets or superheated water
in rocks.
 A Gem’s value depends on its scarcity, color, purity, brilliance,
and hardness.
 Gemstones are polished and cut into different shapes so that
they shine and sparkle.
 Diamonds
 Rubies
 Sapphires
 Emeralds
 What are the two basic types of minerals?
 What is the difference between them?
 What are the two most common elements in the
Earth’s crust?
 What are the four criteria for deciding whether or not a
substance is a mineral?
 Why are some metals classified as minerals while
others are not?
 Are fossil fuels minerals? Why or why not?