The Lithosphere:

1
The Lithosphere
A thin layer of solid rock that surrounds the
earth. The lithosphere is divided into 3 parts
the least dense continental crust, then the
oceanic crust and finally, the rigid mantle.
All of this information can be found on page 10
of your Earth Science Reference Tables
What are the two most abundant elements in the
crust by mass? (see ESRT chart page 1)
Oxygen and silicon are the most abundant elements
in the crust.
2
What is a Mineral?

• To be considered a mineral, the object MUST
  possess

ALL 5
of the following characteristics
Theres a list after the next few slides
3
Minerals must -

• Occur naturally

4
Minerals must be -

• Inorganic - not living and not formed from
  anything that was once living

5
Minerals must -
Be a solid at room temperature
6
Minerals must -
Have a Definite chemical composition (elements
are combined in a definite proportion)
7
Minerals must have a -

• Crystal structure due to the internal arrangement
  of atoms (atoms inside are arranged in an orderly
  pattern)

8
Minerals are
1. Naturally occurring (not man made)
2. Inorganic (not made from living things)
3. Solid at room temperature
4. Have a specific chemical composition
5. Have a distinct crystal structure
9
A minerals properties are determined by the
internal arrangement of its atoms.
Both graphite and diamond are made entirely of
carbon atoms, but their atoms are arranged
quite differently.
10
Silica Tetrahedra
The _________________ ______________________ (1
silicon, 4 oxygen) is the building block of ALL
silicate minerals!
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Mineral Properties

• - Color 8- Density
• - Luster 9- Specific Gravity
• - Streak 10- Magnetism
• - Hardness 11- Reaction to acid
• - Cleavage 12- Taste
• - Fracture 13- Fluorescence
• - Crystal Form/Shape 14- Double Refraction

12
Minerals can be identified by their physical and
chemical properties

• Color
• Hardness
• Streak
• Luster
• Cleavage/ Fracture
• Specific Gravity
• Special Properties

On the next set of slides, try defining each
property of mineral identification.
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Color
The actual color of the mineral.
14
Color is not good for identifying because some
minerals come in many colors.
All these minerals are quartz!
15
Different Minerals Same Color
16
Hardness
Tests how a mineral can be scratched by another
object.
HARDNESS- minerals resistance to being scratched.
This is done by using the MOHS Hardness Scale
17
Hardness tests
Fingernail ... hardness 2.5 Copper penny
. hardness 3.5 Iron nail . hardness
4.5 Glass plate . hardness 5.5
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Mohs Scale
1. Talc 2. Gypsum 3. Calcite 4. Fluorite 5.
Apatite 6. Feldspar 7. Quartz 8. Topaz 9.
Corundum 10. Diamond
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Streak
The color left on a streak plate when a mineral
is rubbed on it..
Streak is the powdered form of the mineral
20
Luster
Shows how shiny a mineral is. It is considered
metallic if it shines like metal.
It looks like metal -
If not, then its -
Non-Metallic
Metallic
21
Fracture
If a mineral breaks unevenly or splinters it
shows fracture.
Hematite breaks unevenly.
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Examples of Fracture
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Cleavage
If a mineral breaks along a specific plane it has
cleavage.
Biotite splits in sheets along flat planes and
shows cleavage..
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Examples of Cleavage
25
Examples of Cleavage
26
Examples of Cleavage
27
Examples of Cleavage
28
Examples of Cleavage
29
Examples of Cleavage
30
Examples of Cleavage
31
Specific Gravity
This is the density of a mineral.
Iron has a higher density than Talc.
32
Special Properties
Some minerals have unique properties that help in
identification.
33
Double Refraction
Splits light to show a double image.
34
Acid Soluble
Dissolves in acid.
35
Magnetic
Shows magnetic properties.
36

• Native Minerals minerals that are made of only
  one element.

Examples
Graphite Sulfur Gold Diamond
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Did You Know