Minerals & Rocks

ESRT Mineral Chart Click Here What is a mineral? naturally occurring inorganic crystalline It is a substance which has a definite chemical composition ESRT Mineral Chart Click Here

The arrangement of atoms determines EVERYTHING about the mineral!! What causes minerals to have different physical properties? the internal arrangement of atoms The arrangement of atoms determines EVERYTHING about the mineral!!

LOOK AT PAGE 16 of the ESRT’s Give an example of two minerals which have the same chemical composition but different physical properties graphite & diamond both made of carbon

The Main Physical Properties Used to Identify Minerals 1. Color Not very reliable minerals can be multiple colors many minerals are the same color

Quartz

The Main Physical Properties Used to Identify Minerals 2. Streak more reliable than color color of the mineral in powder form Every color of a mineral has the same streak

The Main Physical Properties Used to Identify Minerals 3. Luster how light reflects off a mineral metallic non-metallic looks like a metal looks earthy, waxy, greasy or brilliant

non-metallic Earthy (dull) Pearly Waxy Glassy

metallic

Page 2 The Main Physical Properties Used to Identify Minerals 4. Cleavage the mineral breaks in a predictable pattern because of its arrangement of atoms

Examples of Cleavage

The Main Physical Properties Used to Identify Minerals 5. Fracture the mineral breaks randomly

FRACTURE .

The Main Physical Properties Used to Identify Minerals 6. Hardness resistance to being scratched It is NOT the same as breaking! For example: You can break glass easily with steel. However, steel will not scratch glass.

What determines all of the properties of a mineral?? Page 3 What determines all of the properties of a mineral?? THE INTERNAL ARRANGEMENT OF ATOMS Just like your DNA determines all of your properties

oxygen silicon Minerals have a definite chemical composition made of elements and compounds. What two elements, by mass, make up the greatest percentage of the Earth’s crust? (ESRT pg 1) oxygen silicon

silicates (SiO4) These two elements combine to form compounds called Minerals have a definite chemical composition. These two elements combine to form compounds called silicates (SiO4)

silicon-oxygen tetrahedra Minerals have a definite chemical composition. They combine in a specific structure called a: silicon-oxygen tetrahedra

(that have SiO in their chemical compostiton) Minerals have a definite chemical composition. Using page 16 of the ESRT’s, name 2 minerals that are part of the silicate family (that have SiO in their chemical compostiton)

Other properties Smell Striations (scratches) Refraction Fluorescence Acid Test Flame color Magnetism