Download What is a mineral? - Fourth Grade Rocks!

Name: ____________________________________________________
For use with http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/thezone/minerals/define/index.htm
What is a mineral?
When you see a glittering crystal in our Museum you
would probably say it was a mineral - and you'd
almost certainly be right. But can you say what a
mineral really is?
Defining a mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic
solid, with a definite chemical composition,
and an ordered atomic arrangement. This may
seem a bit of a mouthful, but if you break it
down it becomes simpler.

Minerals are ___________________________.
This means that
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Minerals are ______________________________
This means that
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Minerals are ______________________________
This means that
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Minerals have a
_________________________________________________________
This means that
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Minerals have an
________________________________________________________
This means that
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Name: ____________________________________________________
Why is a mineral like a cake?
In what ways are minerals, a cake and you the same / different
Minerals
Cake
You
Naturally Occurring
Inorganic
Solid
Definite chemical
composition
Ordered atomic arrangement
The tricky bits ... atoms, molecules and the rest
Minerals are defined by their ___________________________ and
________________________.
Each mineral has a fixed _______________________________. Some minerals are
made up of just one chemical _______________. In this case, the mineral is made up
of only one type of ____________. Other minerals are made up of just one chemical
____________________.
All the properties of a mineral - its __________________ ____________,
___________________, ___________, _______________ - depend on which chemical
elements it is made of and how the atoms of these elements are arranged inside it.
Name: ____________________________________________________
What is a mineral? The quiz!
Yes/No
Yes
Mineral
Quartz
No
Amber
Granite
Gold
Charcoal
Hematite
Plastic
Icebergs
Explain your answer
Quartz is a mineral because it is a naturally
occurring inorganic solid, with a definite
chemical composition, and an ordered atomic
arrangement.
Amber is not a mineral because although it is
solid and naturally occurring, its chemical
composition can vary, and it is organic (made by
trees)