Mineral Properties

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Mineral Properties

• What is a mineral?

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Minerals have four characteristics
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Forms in Nature

• Form in different ways, but all in nature
• Not man made
• Examples
• Halite (table salt) forms when water evaporates
  in hot, shallow parts of the ocean
• Talc forms deep in Earth as high pressure and
  temperature cause changes in rocks

4
Is a Solid

• Takes up a defined amount of space and a rigid
  shape

5
Has a Definite Chemical Makeup

• Each mineral consists of a specific combination
  of atoms of certain elements
• Everything you can see or touch is made of atoms,
  some minerals have one type of atom, others have
  multiple types
• EX Halite made of sodium atoms

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Atom - Structure
Halite is made of atoms!
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Has a Crystal Structure

• Crystal a solid in which the atoms are arranged
  in an orderly, repeating 3D pattern
• Each mineral has its own type of crystal
  structure
• EX diamonds and graphite consist of only the
  element carbon. These minerals are different
  because of their crystal structure.

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How are the structures different?
Graphite
Diamond