A mineral is a substance that:

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• A mineral is a substance that
• 1. forms in nature
• 2. is a solid and made up of substances that
  were never alive.
• 3. has a definite chemical make-up
• 4. has a crystal structure

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• A rock
• 1. is a solid
• 2. it forms naturally
• 3. it usually contains 2 or more minerals

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• Minerals are formed by natural processes.
• Every type of mineral can form in nature by
  processes that do not involve living organisms.
• Do rocks make up minerals or do Minerals make up
  rocks?
• What is the difference between a rock and a
  mineral?

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• Minerals are solid.
• 1. Minerals are made up of elements.
• 2. An element is a substance that contains only
  one type of atom.
• 3. An atom is the smallest particle an element
  can be divided into.

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• Each mineral has a definite chemical makeup it
  consist of a specific combination of atoms or
  certain elements.
• Minerals Gold and Copper contain atoms of the
  same type. Minerals Halite has atoms of sodium
  and chlorine.
• The type of minerals that form in an area depends
  in part on what elements are found there.

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• Minerals are classified based on chemical
  composition into 2 groups.
• Silicates Non-silicates
• All the minerals in the silicate group contain
  oxygen and silicon the two most common elements
  in Earths crust.

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• Crystal Structure A Crystal is a solid.
• In a crystal the atoms are arranged in an
  orderly, repeating three-dimensional pattern.
• Each mineral has its own type of crystal
  structure.
• In some cases, two minerals have the same
  chemical composition but different crystal
  structures.

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• Mineral crystals that are valued for their beauty
  rather than for usefulness, are attractive and
  rare, and are hard enough to be cut and polished
  are called gems.

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• Diamond and graphite are made of just one
  element- carbon. But, the arrangements of the
  carbon atoms in these two minerals are not the
  same, so they have different crystal structures
  and very different properties. Diamonds are
  extremely hard and have a brilliant sparkle.
  Graphite is soft, gray and dull.

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• Minerals form many ways
• 1. Halite forms when water evaporates in a hot
  shallow part of the ocean, leaving behind the
  salt. (Halite used in table salt)
• 2. Talc, a mineral used to make baby powder,
  forms deep in Earth as high pressure
  temperature causes changes in solid rock.

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1. Minerals such as quartz grow as molten rock
   cools.
2. As hot water cools, the dissolved minerals in the
   water separate from the water and become solid.
   Gold
3. A few minerals are produced by living things .

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• Ores
• A rock is an ore if they contain enough of a
  mineral to be mined for profit.
• Minerals are a nonrenewable resource. It is used
  up more quickly than it can be replaced in nature.

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