Download Mineral Groups

Mineral Groups in the Earth’s Crust
Minerals that form the rocks within Earth’s crust
belong to Seven (7) main mineral groups:
1) Silicates
2) Carbonates
3) Sulfates
4) Oxides
5) Halides
6) Sulfides
7) Native
Reference:
Pages 44 - 55
Hints to Classify Mineral Groups
A
Mineral groups that end
with “ate” and have an
oxygen group in its
chemical formula are one
of the following;
Olivine
Barite
(Mg,Fe)2SiO4
BaSO4
Silicates = Si + Ox
Sulfates = S + Ox
Carbonates = C + Ox
Calcite CaCO3
Hints to Classify Mineral Groups
B
Mineral groups that end
with “ide” and have a
metal (eg. Na, K) in its
chemical formula are one
of the following;
Hematite Fe2O3
Pyrite
FeS2
Oxidides = Metal + O
Sulfides = Metal + S
Halides = Metal + Cl, Br, F
Fluorite
CaF2
Mineral Groups
1) Silicates
 Silicon and oxygen are the most common elements in earth’s crust.
 A mineral group that has silicon and oxygen as part of their atomic
structure.
 The most dominant mineral class is the silicates.
 Comprise more than 96% of the crust.
 All silicate minerals have the same building block:
Silicon-Oxygen Tetrahedron
- consisting of four oxygen ions (negative)
surrounding one small silicon ion (positive),
forming a tetrahedron, a pyramid shape
with 4 identical faces.
Mineral Groups
1) Silicates
Mineral Groups
1) Silicates
Rock forming Silicates are divided
into two (2) groups:
Sialic Silicates (Aluminosilicates)

rich in silicon and aluminum.

main rock type found in continents and
comprise about 85% of the crust.

mineral are light in color.
Mineral Groups
1) Silicates
Rock forming Silicates are divided
into two (2) groups:
Simatic Silicates (Ferromagnesium)

rich in silicon and magnesium (Iron).

main rock type found in the ocean floor and
comprise less than 15% of the crust.

mineral are dark in color.
Mineral Groups
2) Carbonates
 compounds consisting of an atomic structure
of one carbon and three oxygen (CO3).
 most common carbonate is calcite which make
up the rock Limestone. (Ca CO3)
3) Sulfates
 compounds consisting of an atomic structure
of one sulfur and four oxygen (SO4).
 the rock Gypsum is an example of a sulfate and
it also takes on the mineral name. (CaSO4 2H2O)
Mineral Groups
4) Oxides
 compounds consisting of an atomic structure
of oxygen combined with one or more metals.
 most common oxides are those of iron (Fe2O3) and
aluminum (Al2O3), referred to as Ore - Minerals.
5) Halides
 compounds consisting of an atomic structure of chlorine
or fluorine with sodium, potassium, or calcium.
 Halite (NaCl) is the most common halide. Often
referred to as table salt.
Mineral Groups
6) Sulfides
 compounds consisting of an atomic structure
of one or more metals combined with sulfur.
 common ore mineral.
Examples: Pyrite (FeS2), Galena (PbS), Sphalerite (ZnS).
7) Native Minerals
 elements that occur uncombined in nature.
 commonly called native elements.
 Examples:
Gold (Au), Silver (Ag), Copper (Cu), & Sulfur (S)
Worksheet
• Identifying mineral groups by chemical formulas
Sample Problem
Which is an example of a halide?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
barite (BaSO4)
calcite (CaCO3)
fluorite (CaF2)
hematite (Fe2O3)
Questions related to this topic are
commonly seen in the multiple choice.