Download MINERALS

MINERALS
• WHAT ARE THEY??
MINERALS
• The basic materials of the earth’s
crust.
• The “building blocks” of rocks
• Thousands are known
• But only about 20 are common in the
crust – these are the rock-forming
minerals.
WHAT MAKES SOMETHING
A MINERAL??
4 THINGS NEEDED:
1) Must be “inorganic” – not made from
living (or once-living) things.
2) Must occur naturally (not made by
people).
3) Must be a solid, “crystalline” material.
4) Must have a “definite chemical
composition”.
For example – Here’s a piece of granite rock,
and the three minerals that it is made of.
SO – WHICH OF THESE ARE MINERALS?
CONCRETE
STEEL
GOLD
COAL
SALT (HALITE)
OIL
SO – WHICH OF THESE ARE MINERALS?
CONCRETE
NO!!
STEEL
NO!!
GOLD
YES!!
COAL
NO!!
SALT (HALITE)
OIL
YES!!
NO!!
TWO MAIN GROUPS OF MINERALS
1) SILICATES (96%)
Contain silicon (Si) and oxygen (O), plus
other elements, usually
quartz
mica
feldspar
2) NON-SILICATES (4%)
6 major groups – see pp. 158-159
silver
gypsum
pyrite
USES OF MINERALS WE IDENTIFIED
#
MINERAL
FORMULA
USES/NOTES
1
Muscovite Mica
KAl2Si3O10(OH)2
Insulator, used for
windows in olden
days
2
Dolomite
CaMg(CO3)2
3
Biotite Mica
4
5
Halite
Calcite
K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(F,OH)2
(approximate)
NaCl
CaCO3
Cement,
limestone
Insulator
Gypsum
Graphite
PbS
CaSO4
C
6
7
8
Salt
Main limestone
ingredient
for lead
Wallboard
Pencils, lubricant
USES OF MINERALS WE IDENTIFIED
9
Quartz
SiO2
Glass manuf., electrical
equipment
10
Talc
Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
Used in paper
production, baby
powder
11
12
Magnetite
Plagioclase
Feldspar
Hematite
Orthoclase
Feldspar
Pyrite
Fe3O4
Ore for iron
(Ca,Na)Al(Al,Si)Si2O8 Glass, ceramics
13
14
15
Fe2O3
KAlSi3O8
FeS2
Ore for iron
Ceramics, very
common
“Fools Gold”, ore for
sulfur