Mineral Groups in the Earth’s Crust Reference: Pages Minerals that form the rocks within Earth’s crust belong to Seven (7) main mineral groups: 1) Silicates 2) Carbonates 3) Sulfates 4) Oxides 5) Halides 6) Sulfides 7) Native

Hints to Classify Mineral Groups Olivine (Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4 BariteBaSO 4 CalciteCaCO 3 Mineral groups that end with “ate” and have an oxygen group in its chemical formula are one of the following; Silicates = Si + Ox Sulfates = S + Ox Carbonates = C + Ox A

Hints to Classify Mineral Groups Hematite Fe 2 O 3 PyriteFeS 2 Fluorite CaF 2 Mineral groups that end with “ide” and have a metal (eg. Na, K) in its chemical formula are one of the following; Oxidides = Metal + O Sulfides = Metal + S Halides = Metal + Cl, Br, F B

Mineral Groups Silicates1)  Silicon and oxygen are the most common elements in earth’s crust.  A mineral group that has silicon and oxygen as part of their atomic structure.  The most dominant mineral class is the silicates.  Comprise more than 96% of the crust.  All silicate minerals have the same building block: Silicon-Oxygen Tetrahedron - consisting of four oxygen ions (negative) surrounding one small silicon ion (positive), forming a tetrahedron, a pyramid shape with 4 identical faces.

Mineral Groups Silicates1)

Mineral Groups Silicates1) Rock forming Silicates are divided into two (2) groups: Sialic Silicates (Aluminosilicates)  rich in silicon and aluminum.  main rock type found in continents and comprise about 85% of the crust.  mineral are light in color.

Mineral Groups Silicates1) Rock forming Silicates are divided into two (2) groups: Simatic Silicates (Ferromagnesium)  rich in silicon and magnesium (Iron).  main rock type found in the ocean floor and comprise less than 15% of the crust.  mineral are dark in color.

Mineral Groups Carbonates2)  compounds consisting of an atomic structure of one carbon and three oxygen (CO 3 ).  most common carbonate is calcite which make up the rock Limestone. (Ca CO 3) Sulfates3)  compounds consisting of an atomic structure of one sulfur and four oxygen (SO 4 ).  the rock Gypsum is an example of a sulfate and it also takes on the mineral name. (CaSO 4 2H 2 O)

Mineral Groups Oxides4)  compounds consisting of an atomic structure of oxygen combined with one or more metals.  most common oxides are those of iron (Fe 2 O 3 ) and aluminum (Al 2 O 3 ), referred to as Ore - Minerals. Halides5)  compounds consisting of an atomic structure of chlorine or fluorine with sodium, potassium, or calcium.  Halite (NaCl) is the most common halide. Often referred to as table salt.

Mineral Groups Sulfides6)  compounds consisting of an atomic structure of one or more metals combined with sulfur.  common ore mineral. Examples: Pyrite (FeS 2 ), Galena (PbS), Sphalerite (ZnS). Native Minerals7)  elements that occur uncombined in nature.  commonly called native elements.  Examples: Gold (Au), Silver (Ag), Copper (Cu), & Sulfur (S)

Worksheet Identifying mineral groups by chemical formulas

Sample Problem Which is an example of a halide? (A)barite (BaSO 4 ) (B)calcite (CaCO 3 ) (C)fluorite (CaF 2 ) (D)hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) Questions related to this topic are commonly seen in the multiple choice.