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MINERALS
By: Stephen, Brian, and Nikko
SES4U1
INTRODUCTION TO MINERALS
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A mineral is a naturally
occurring substance
formed through
geological processes.
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Scientists use four
methods of determining
if the substance is a
mineral or not.
IS IT A MINERAL ?
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There are four questions scientists answer to determine
if a substance is a mineral
1) Is the substance inorganic? If the substance contains
elements that is not alive and never was, then it is a
mineral.
2) Does the substance occur naturally? If it is
manufactured, it is not a mineral.
3) Is the substance in solid crystalline form? Gases are
can not be minerals.
4)Does the substance have a definite chemical
composition? If yes, than the substance is a mineral
CLASSIFICATION OF MINERALS
SILICATE
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All silicate minerals
contain atoms of Silicon
(Si) and Oxygen.
Most Prominent Mineral
in the Earth’s crust, as
over 95% of the Earth’s
crust is made up of
Silicate
Quartz
CARBONATES AND SULFATES
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Carbonates – They are
prevalent in a marine
setting, especially where the
shells of dead planktonic
life accumulate. This class
of minerals also exist in
evaporitic settings.
Sulfates- Like carbonates,
Sulfates occur in a marine
setting that is evaporitic.
They occur in a
hydrothermal environment
such as water near the
magma in the Earth’s crust.
Sulfate Mineral Barite
OXIDES
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Oxides- These are the most
important type of mineral,
as this has the biggest
impact on society. They form
many ores that are
extracted using mining
methods, which provide with
metal. This is important for
everyday human use; as the
economic implications such
as materials for trucks
needed for the trade of
goods, and creating the jobs
to extract and manufacture
the ore.
An example of an oxide is Ice,
since it is a solid, inorganic, and a
chemical composition of oxygen.
NATIVE ELEMENTS AND SULFIDE
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Native Elements – This
group contains metals
and intermetallic
elements such as Gold,
Silver, and Copper.
Sulfide- Compounds that
consist of one or more
elements that are
combines with sulfur.
Many sulfide minerals are
economically important in
the role of producing
steel.
Gold
APPLICATION OF MINERALS
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Aluminum- Aluminum is
used in situations where
a light weight metal is
needed, such as
bicycles, cars and
planes.
Cobalt – Used in alloys
for jet engine parts,
cutting tools and
electrical devices.
APPLICATION OF MINERALS
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Copper –Used in
electric cables and
wires and building
construction, plumbing,
heating and electrical
and electronic
components, industrial
machinery and
equipment,
transportation, coins,
and jewelry.
APPLICATIONS OF MINERALS
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Gold – Used in dentistry
and medicine, in jewelry
and art such as
sculptures; in medallions
and coins, for scientific
and electronic
instruments, computer
circuitry.
Dietary Use – There are
16 minerals that are
essential for human life;
for example : iron,
potassium, and sodium.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS
Each mineral has specific properties that are a
result of chemical composition and crystal
structure. These properties are useful for
comparing and identifying different minerals
 Colour – Although not the most reliable
method, different types of minerals have
distinct colours.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS
Luster – Defined in the textbook as light being
reflected from the surface of a mineral. Minerals
that do not reflect light very well are known as
non-mettalic.
 Streak- A more reliable method of characterizing a
mineral. This involves observing the colour of the
mineral in powered form.
 Cleavage and fracture- This is any cracks or splits
in a certain mineral. This is called cleavage.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS
Hardness- This is a measure of the ability of a
mineral to resist scratching . If a mineral can be
easily split into cleavages and fractures, than
the mineral is softer. The Mohs Hardness Scale
determines the hardness of minerals on a scale
of 1-10.
 Density- Density of a mineral is how heavy a
mineral is, compared to how big it is. The
equation for density is Mass divided by volume.
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CHARACTORISTICS OF MINERALS
THE 6 BASIC CRYSTAL SYSTEMS
IMPACT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF MINERALS
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Economically- Creates
jobs when a particular
mineral is being mined or
extracted; also
manufacturing minerals
into useful items creates
jobs. Other economic
implications branch from
minerals; from the
transportation to the
sales of the final product
of the mineral.
IMPACT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF MINERALS
Environmentally- Minerals are usually extracted
from the earth via mining. Mining any particular
mineral has an impact on the environment and
leave an ecological footprint.
 Firstly, Mining can cause water pollution. The
result can be unnaturally high concentrations of
some chemicals, such as sulfuric acid and
mercury over a significant area of surface. Runoff
of soil or rock debris also devastates the
surrounding aqua life.
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IMPACT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF MINERALS
Secondly, mining can cause a loss of biodiversity.
With the an establishment of any mining methods,
animal life looses their habitat. Deforestation also
occurs with mining, has in some cases trees need
to be cut down in order to start mining.
 Third of all, minerals can have negative effects on
the enviroment. With humans use minerals for
their own benefit, the environment can be
polluted. This is evident when coal is being burned
for electricity, greenhouse gasses are released into
the atmosphere.
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WHAT ARE MINERALS MADE UP OF?
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A mineral is composed of the same substance throughout. If you were to cut
a mineral sample, it would look the same throughout. There are about 3000
different minerals in the world. Minerals are made of chemicals - either a
single chemical or a combination of chemicals. There are 103 known
chemical elements. Minerals are sorted into 8 categories. Some common
examples have been listed for each below ;
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Native elements: copper, silver, gold, nickel-iron, graphite, diamond
Sulfides : sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, pyrite
Halides : halite, fluorite
Oxides & Hydroxides: corundum, hematite
Nitrates, Carbonates, Borates : calcite, dolomite, malachite
Sulfates, Chromates, Molybdates, Tungstates ~ celestite, barite, gypsum
Phosphates, Arsenates, Vanadates : apatite, turquoise
Silicates ~ quartz, almandine garnet, topaz, jadeite, talc, biotite mica
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HISTORY OF MINERALS
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Mineralogy is the branch of geology concerned with the study of minerals. A
mineral is a naturally occurring, homogeneous solid with a definite chemical
composition and a highly ordered atomic structure. A homogeneous
substance is one that can be divided into repeating units that are exactly
the same.
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A mineral, by definition, cannot be a liquid or a gas. The chemical
composition of a mineral is definite, meaning a particular mineral is always
composed of the same ratio of elements, and this composition can be
shown using a chemical formula. The atoms in a mineral are arranged in a
highly ordered fashion, called a crystal lattice structure.
- Minerals have been an important part of our society since the time of
prehistoric man. Early humans carved tools out of minerals such as quartz.
Pottery has been made of various clays since ancient times. Sodium
chloride, also known as the mineral halite, has been used in food
preservation techniques for millions of years. Mining of useful minerals out
of ores became widespread hundreds of years ago, a practice still in use
today.
LEAD, SULPHUR, MERCURY, GOLD
MINERAL FORMATION
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Minerals form in all geologic environments and thus under a wide
range of chemical and physical conditions, such as varying
temperature and pressure. The four main categories of mineral
formation are:
Igneous, or magmatic, in which minerals crystallize from a melt
Sedimentary, in which minerals are the result of the processes of
weathering, erosion, and sedimentation
Metamorphic, in which new minerals form at the expense of earlier
ones owing to the effects of changing—usually increasing—
temperature or pressure or both on some existing rock type
(metamorphic minerals are the result of new mineral growth in the
solid state without the intervention of a melt, as in igneous
processes)
Hydrothermal, in which minerals are chemically precipitated from hot
solutions within the Earth.
TYPES OF MINERALS
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Aluminum
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Color: is silvery-white.
Chemistry: Al
Aluminum is relatively strong (per unit of weight), as
strong as steel although only about half as strong as
titanium, which when combined with its low cost makes
it a popular metal for building things from beer cans to
lawn chairs to boats to airplanes. It is easy to
manufacture since it is the second most malleable
metal and the sixth most ductile - the only difficulty is in
welding it.
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TYPES OF MINERALS
Gold
Chemistry: Au, Elemental gold
 Color: is golden "butter" yellow
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Gold is almost indestructible and has been used
and then reused for centuries to the extent that all
gold of known existence is almost equal to all the
gold that has ever been mined. Gold is a great
medium metal for jewellery, as it never tarnishes.
GUESS THE MINERAL
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