Download Mighty Minerals

A. Minerals are all around us
1. BACKGROUND:
Scientists have identified over 2000
different minerals in the earth's crust.
95% of the earth's crust is composed of only
12 different rock-forming minerals.
2. What is a mineral?
All natural earth materials are made of
minerals or a combination of minerals
Minerals are the building blocks of rocks
3. Characteristics
Solid: Not Liquid or Gas or Plasma
Naturally Occurring: Not HumanMade
Inorganic: Not Alive - Never Was
Fixed Composition: Same Recipe,
Everywhere, Every Time (single
element or compounds-no mixtures)
Crystal Form: specific repeating atom
arrangement
( remember SNIFC)
4.Minerals are grouped according
to their composition
The most common group are the
silicates which contain silicon and
oxygen which are also the most
common elements in the Earth's
crust.
B. A mineral is Identified by its
properties
1. A mineral’s appearance helps identify it
• Color-not very reliable
• Luster-How does light reflect off of it?
• Metallic or non-metallic
• Streak-the color of a thin powder line left by the
mineral-EVERY time
• Breakage-evenly (cleavage) or randomly (fracture)?
• Density-mass per unit of volume ; D=m/v
• Hardness-resistance to scratching; Moh’s Scale
helps to identify
• Special properties include radioactivity, magnetism,
reaction to acid or UV reaction
C. Minerals are Valuable
Resources
1. Many uses in industry:
machines, technology and
everyday products
2.Use in the arts: paint, dyes,
gemstones, jewelry
3. Minerals crystals form in several
ways
Water evaporates
Hot Water cools
Molten rock cools-the quicker it cools,
the smaller the crystals formed.
Magma-molten rock inside the Earth
Lava-molten rock on the Earth’s
surface
Heat and pressure cause mineral
changes deep in the Earth
4. Minerals can be mined for a
profit. When they are, they are
called ores