Minerals

What is a Mineral??? Minerals are made up of elements In order to be a mineral there are 5 important characteristics….. 1. It occurs naturally 2. It is solid 3. It has a definite chemical composition 4. Its atoms are arranged in an orderly pattern 5. It is inorganic (it was NEVER alive)

Which is Which?!

Minerals… There are over 4000 known minerals on Earth Some common minerals you might already know are: gold, quartz, halite (salt), and diamond Some common matter that are NOT minerals are… water (not a solid) coal (made from plants that were once living and doesn’t have a definite chemical composition)

The Earth’s Crust 8 elements make up 98.5% of the Earth’s crust These 8 element are the most common 46.6% Oxygen (O) 27.7% Silicon (Si) 8.1% Aluminum (Al) 5.0% Iron (Fe) 3.6% Calcium (Ca) 2.8% Sodium (Na) 2.6% Potassium (K) 2.1% Magnesium (Mg)

How do minerals form? 1. From magma – as the magma cools, minerals form 2. From evaporating water – as the water goes away elements bond creating minerals

Minerals are Compounds Most minerals are compounds – when two or more elements combine Examples: Galena - compound of lead and sulfur Quartz – compound of silicon and oxygen

Native minerals 3 minerals that are not compounds, they are only made up of one element We call these minerals native minerals Copper Graphite Gold

Structures of Minerals A crystal is a solid with smooth surfaces called crystal faces. Each mineral has a regular crystal shape. There are 6 common crystal shapes. If space is limited when the crystal is growing the mineral might not take this perfect crystal shape, but it will just grow in the given space.

Crystal Structure and Physical Properties Crystal structure also determines a mineral’s cleavage, or the tendency to break along a plane Why does it do this? The mineral is weak in that area and breaks.

Gems Rare and beautiful minerals used in jewelry

Let’s Review Minerals are made up of elements. Minerals can be made of materials that once lived, like coal. Minerals must be a solid. Minerals can be man made. Minerals have atoms that are arranged in an orderly pattern. There are over 4000 minerals, each having their own unique crystal structure. Mineral cleavage is how minerals break along a plane.