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Course Overview
EdSc 121- Fundamentals of Geology
(3 hours lecture/week)
Structure, origin, geologic processes and materials of
the earth, classification of minerals, rocks,
importance, utilization and conservation of mineral
resources, and effects of explorations of earth
resources
Jun Karren V. Caparoso
Department of Science and Mathematics
Education
College of Education
MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology
What is Matter?
(review)
Matter – the substance of which any physical
object is composed
States of Matter:
• Solid
• Liquid
• Gas
Examples:
Controlling factors:
• Temperature
• Pressure
Gold
Mercury
Oxygen
solid
liquid
gas
The stuff that makes up all matter
The make-up of solid matter on Earth:
Atoms  Elements  Compounds  Minerals  Rocks
(smallest)
Elements:
– fundamental building blocks
– smallest matter that can’t be broken down
(largest)
Periodic Table of Elements
The stuff that makes up all matter
The make-up of solid matter on Earth:
Atoms  Elements  Compounds  Minerals  Rocks
(smallest)
(largest)
Atoms:
– the stuff that builds elements
– the smallest particle that uniquely defines an element
Atomic Structure
Particles that make up an atom:
– Protons: positive (+) charge
– Neutrons: no charge
– Electrons: negative (-) charge
Protons + neutrons define the nucleus of an atom.
Layers of electrons that orbit around the nucleus
are called orbitals or energy-level shells.
Atomic Structure
Atomic Structure
Atoms of the same element:
• have the same number of protons
(i.e., same atomic number)
• can have different numbers of neutrons
(referred to as isotopes)
• can have different numbers of electrons
Ion – an atom that has gained or lost an electron
Atomic Structure
Sodium atom
loses an electron
Chlorine atom
gains an electron
(becomes positively
charged)
(becomes negatively
charged)
Atomic Structure
Types of IONS:
• CATIONS – a loss of electrons, resulting
in a positive (+) charge
• ANIONS – a gain of electrons, resulting
in a negative (-) charge
Examples:
Na+
(cation)
–
Cl (anion)
NaCl (table salt)
chemical compound
Atomic Structure
• Definition:
– A chemical compound consists of elements
that combine in a specific ratio.
Examples:
NaCl
H2O
• The smallest quantity of a compound is
called a molecule.
• Molecules are held together by chemical
bonding.
Bonding – chemical matrimony
• Chemical bonding:
– formation of a compound by combining two or
more elements
– manner in which electrons are distributed
among atoms
• In bonded atoms, electrons may be lost,
gained, or shared.
• 4 types of bonding:
ionic
covalent
metallic
van der Waals
Bonding – chemical matrimony
• Ionic bonding:
– electrons are transferred between atoms
forming attracting ions (e.g., NaCl)
Na+
Cl–
Bonding – chemical matrimony
• Ionic bonding:
– orderly arrangement of oppositely charged ions
– bonds are moderately strong (salt dissolves in water)
Bonding – chemical matrimony
• Covalent bonding:
– electrons are shared between atoms
Chlorine gas molecule, Cl2
– generally strong
bonds
(e.g., diamond, pure C)
Bonding – chemical matrimony
• Metallic bonding:
– electrons drift around from atom to atom
(e.g., copper, gold, silver)
– good conductors of electrical current
– generally weaker, less common than other bonds
Gold, Au
Bonding – chemical matrimony
• Van der Waals bonding:
– sheets of covalently bonded atoms held together
by weak electrostatic forces
– very weak bonds
examples: graphite, mica
The stuff that makes up all matter
The make-up of solid matter on Earth:
Atoms  Elements  Compounds  Minerals  Rocks
(smallest)
(largest)
Minerals: the building blocks of rocks
Definition of a Mineral:
 naturally occurring
 inorganic
 solid
 characteristic crystalline structure
 definite chemical composition
Definition of a Rock:
• A solid aggregate (mixture) of minerals
Rock: A solid aggregate
(mixture) of minerals
Mineral characteristics
•
Definition of a Mineral:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
naturally occurring
inorganic
solid
characteristic crystalline structure
definite chemical composition
steel
no, #1
plastic
no, #1
sugar table salt
no, #1,2
YES!
basalt
no, #5
obsidian
no, #4
mica
YES!
gold
YES!
mercury ice
no, #3 YES!
paper
chalk
no, #1,2 no, #2
coal
no, #2
coral
no, #2
Mineral characteristics
•
Naturally formed
– No substance created artificially is a mineral.
examples: plastic, steel, sugar, paper
•
Inorganic
– Anything formed by a living organism and
containing organic materials is not a mineral.
examples: wood, plants, shells, coal
•
Solid
– Liquids and gases are not minerals.
examples: water, petroleum, lava, oxygen
Mineral characteristics
•
Characteristic crystalline structure
– must have an ordered arrangement of atoms
– displays repetitive geometric patterns in 3-D
glass not a mineral (no internal crystalline structure)
•
Definite chemical composition
– must have consistent chemical formula
examples: gold (Au), quartz (SiO2), orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
basalt (like many other rocks) contains variable ratios
of different minerals; thus, has no consistent formula
How many minerals are there?
Nearly 4,000 types of minerals
– Only ~30 occur commonly
– Why not more?
•
Some combinations are chemically impossible
•
Relative abundances of elements don’t allow more
Element abundances in the crust
All others: 1.5%