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• Where are minerals found?
• Minerals are found in earth’s crust.
• Minerals are the building blocks of
most rocks.
• All minerals are rocks but not all rocks
are minerals.
5 Characteristics of a Mineral
1. Solid
Not minerals
2. Naturally occurring
found in nature
not made in laboratory
Are man made diamonds a mineral?
3. Inorganic
Never a part of living things.
In=not
organic=living
Examples
Fossils are not minerals.
• Coal is not a mineral. It is formed from
dead plants.
• 4. Definite crystalline structure
• If mineral are allowed to grow freely,
they form certain shapes.
• Examples :
Halite – cubic
• Calcite – rhombic
• Quartz
5. Specific chemical composition
Examples:
Halite – NaCl Sodium Chloride
Calcite CaCO3 Calcium Carbonate
Quartz SiO2 Silicon dioxide
Mineral
• Is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid
with a crystalline structure.
Rocks
• A naturally formed mass that is usually
composed of two or more minerals.
Pearls
water
Oil
Quartz
Petrified wood
Garnet
Pyrite
Conglomerate
Coquina