Minerals

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Minerals
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What is the difference in picture A and B? (Other
than the obvious)
A
B
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What is a mineral?

• Formed by natural processes such as cooling magma
  and evaporating saltwater
• Inorganic not made by life processes
• Element or a compound with definite chemical
  composition (structure)
• Solid and crystalline (atoms in patterns that
  repeat over and over again)

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Properties of Minerals

• The environment which the mineral forms
  determines it properties
• Evaporating salt water
• Changes in heat, pressure, and chemical
  composition (metamorphism)
• Cooling of magma
• Hot water solutions etc.

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S.N.I.F.C.Solid-not liquid, gas, or
plasmaNaturally Occurring-Not manmadeInorganicN
ot alive, never wasFixed Composition - Same
recipe everywhere, every time (Element or
Compound-Not a mixture)C rystal Structure- way
the atoms are arranged
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How are minerals classified?

• Minerals are grouped based on crystal systems.
• Minerals are divided in groups based on their
  chemical composition

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How are minerals identified? Properties (How
can you tell them apart?)

• Streak
• Breakage (cleavage and Fracture
• Unique properties

• Hardness
• Luster
• Density

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Hardness

• Hardness is determined by how easily a mineral
  can be scratched.
• Mohs Scale of Hardness is used to measure the
  hardness of a mineral

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Mohs Scale Hardness Hardness of Common Objects
Talc (softest) 1 Fingernail 2.5
Gypsum 2 Piece of copper 2.5-3.0
Calcite 3 Iron nail 4.5
Fluorite 4 Glass 5.5
Apatite 5 Steel file 6.5
Feldspar 6 Streak plate 7.0
Quartz 7 Flint sandpaper
Topaz 8 Spinel (rock shops)
Corundum 9 Emery sandpaper
Diamond (hardest) 10 Carborundum sandpaper
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Luster

• The way a mineral reflects light.
• Ex. Shiny or dull
• Ex.Metallic or Nonmetallic

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Density

• The measure of how much matter is in a given
  amount of matter
• Ratio of an objects mass to its volume

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Streak

• The color of the power of a mineral.
• Tested by streaking the mineral across another
  object (object must be harder than the mineral)

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Breakage

• Clevage-breaks along smooth, flat surfaces
• Fracture-breaks with an uneven, rough, or jagged
  surface

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Unique Properties

• Many minerals have unique characteristics that
  can also be used to identify the mineral.
• Example-natural magnet, double refraction, odor,
  taste, reaction to acids, fluorescence, etc.

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Uses of Minerals

• Minerals are a component of everyday life because
  they are a part of everyday objects
• Jewerly (gems-rare minerals)
• Diamonds are used in industrial abrasives and
  cutting tools
• Some minerals are used to produce specific types
  of laser light
• Quartz is used in electronics
• Minerals that contain useful substances can be
  mined (Ex. Bauxite-aluminum Ilemenite and
  Rutile-titanium)