Minerals

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Minerals

• Chapter 3

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• Minerals naturally occurring, inorganic solid
  with a definite structure and composition
• Over 4000 minerals
• 5 Characteristics of Minerals
• 1. formed by natural processes salt, diamonds
• 2. Inorganic no Carbon
• 3. Solids
• 4. Unique chemical composition
• 5. repeated pattern
• Crystals solid with atoms are arranged in
  repeating patterns
• Minerals formed
• 1. from magma cooling of hot melted rock
• 2. liquid evaporating - crystals

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• Silicates minerals that contain silicon and
  oxygen and usually one or more other elements
• Silicon and Oxygen the two most abundant elements
  in earths crust
• Mineral Identification
• 1. Physical Properties
• Color
• Appearance
• Hardness Mohr hardness scale
• Luster how light is reflected
• Metallic or non metallic
• Streak color of the mineral when it is broken
  up and powdered
• Cleavage and fracture how it breaks
• Cleavage breaks along smooth flat surfaces Mica
• Fracture rough, jagged edge - Quartz

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Luster how light is reflectedMetallic or non
metallic
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Streak color of the mineral when it is broken
up and powdered
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Hardness
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3.2 How Minerals Form

• In crystallization the atoms are arranged either
  by
• 1. Magma and Lava
• Hot magma cools inside the earth
• Lava (magma on the surface) hardens on the
  surface
• Both form crystals when they cool to a solid
• 2. Solution
• Elements and compounds dissolved in water leave a
  solution they form crystals

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• Minerals form by evaporation
• Salt, halite, gypsum, calcite
• Minerals from Hot Water Solutions
• Elements and compounds dissolve
• Vein narrow channel or slap of a mineral
  different from the surrounding rock

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3.3 Mineral Resources

• Uses of Minerals
• 1. Gemstones hard, colorful, mineral with a
  glassy luster
• 2. Metals aluminum, iron, copper or silver
• 3. Misc Talc for talcum powder
• Calcite for optical instruments like microscopes
• Quartz for class and electronics
• Gypsum - wallboard and cement
• 4. Ore rock that contains a useful mineral that
  can be sold for profit