Download What is a mineral? - The Science Queen

Mighty Minerals
Mineral
Characteristics
Minerals are all
around us
Fascinating Fact
The elements oxygen, silicon,
aluminum, iron, magnesium,
calcium, potassium, and sodium
make up 99 percent of all minerals
on Earth.
Fascinating Fact
BACKGROUND:
Scientists have identified over 2000
different minerals in the earth's crust.
95% of the earth's crust is composed of
about a dozen different rock-forming
minerals.
What is a mineral?
All natural earth materials are
made of minerals or a
combination of minerals
Minerals are the building blocks
of rocks.
To be called a mineral it must
have the following 5
characteristics:
Mineral characteristic #1 –
Naturally Occurring
Occurs naturally
not artificial or
man-made
These are
processes that
occur on or inside
Earth with no input
from humans.
Mineral characteristic #2 Solid
All solids have a
definite volume
and shape.
not a liquid or a
gas
Platinum
(It might take two billion tons of
ore to produce one pound of
platinum!)
Mineral Characteristic #3
Definite chemical composition
Made of one or more
elements.
Image from
http://channel.nationalg
eographic.com/staticfile
s/NGC/StaticFiles/Ima
ges/Show/38xx/382x/3
822_history-of-gold4_04700300.jpg
Element
Some minerals like gold or silver are
made of only one element.
A substance such as iron, oxygen,
and gold which cannot be separated
or broken down by ordinary chemical
methods.
All the elements are listed on the
periodic table. For example: Gold =
Au or Lead = Pb)
Image from
http://periodictable.c
om/Samples/082.28/
s12s.JPG
Compound:
Other minerals are combinations
of two or more elements which
are chemically combined.
For Example
Quartz = SiO2
Calcite = CaCO3
Image from
http://skywalker.cochise.edu/w
ellerr/mingem/gemtp/smokyqua
rtz/6xx-smoky-quartz6rakhi.jpg
Image from
http://www.minerals.net/mineral/carbonat/calci
Mineral Characteristic #4
Crystalline solids
 Atoms arranged in an
orderly pattern
(Crystals)
 Crystalline means that
atoms are arranged in
a pattern that is
repeated over and
over again.
 For example,
graphite’s atoms are
arranged in layers and
halite's are arranged
in cubes.
 The crystal system a
mineral has can help a
geologist identify the
mineral.
There are six major
crystal systems,
which classify
minerals according
to their crystal
structures.
Crystals come
from two places:
Crystals from Magma
• When magma cools
slowly, the crystals
that form are
generally large
enough to see with
the unaided eye.
• When magma cools
rapidly, the crystals
that form will be
small.
Crystals from solutions
• Crystals also can
form from minerals
dissolved in water.
• When water
evaporates,
minerals left behind
come together to
form crystals.
Mineral characteristic #5
Inorganic
Not alive and
never alive
• This means that
they aren’t made
by life
processes.