Minerals

1
Minerals

• Building Blocks of Rocks

2
What is a mineral?

• It occurs naturally
• It is a solid
• It has a definite chemical composition
• Its atoms are arranged in a orderly pattern
• It is inorganic (never alive)

3
Structure of Minerals

• Crystalline shape
• Six crystals systems
• Cubic
• Orthorombic
• Tetragonal
• Triclinic
• Hexagonal
• Monoclinic

4
Identifying Minerals

• Common Characteristics
• Crystal Shape
• Color
• Luster the way the mineral shines in light
• Metallic or nonmetallic
• Vitreous like shiny glass
• Greasy, Oily, Dull, EarthyI will explain

5
Identifying Minerals Cont.

• Testing Mineral Specimens
• Streak the color of its powder
• By using a streak plate you can get the streak of
  the mineral
• Cleavage (not what your thinking!) and Fracture
  how a mineral breaks
• Mohs Scale of Hardness
• Page 106
• Specific Gravity the ratio of its weight to an
  equal volume of water.

6
Mohs Scale of Hardness
7
Special Characteristics

• Some minerals are flourescent
• Flourite, Calcite
• Halite has a salty taste
• Magnetite is magnetic