COULTER Properties of minerals

A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a defined chemical composition. For a substance to be a mineral, it must have these five characteristics; Naturally occurring Inorganic Solid Crystal structure Definite chemical composition What is a mineral

To be classified as a mineral the substance must form in the natural world. Quartz, forms naturally as molten material cools and hardens deep beneath Earth’s surface Man made materials such as plastic, glass, and steel are not minerals. Naturally occurring

The mineral cannot form from materials that were once part of a living thing. Coal forms naturally in the crust, but geologists do not classify coals as a mineral because it comes from the remains of plants that lived millions of years ago. inorganic

Has a definite volume and shape. Particles are packed together very tightly so they cannot move like the particles of a liquid. Solid

Particles of a mineral line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again. The repeating patter that forms the solid is called a crystal. Crystals have flat sides that meet at sharp edges and corners. Crystal structure

A mineral always contains certain elements in definite proportions. Almost all minerals are compounds (made up of more than one element) Some elements occur in nature in pure form. Almost all pure solid elements are metals. Copper Gold silver Definite chemical composition

Each mineral has characteristic properties that can be used to identify it. You can see some of the properties of a mineral just by looking at a sample. To observe other properties, you need to conduct tests on that sample. Identifying minerals

Color is an easily observed physical property. Color alone often doesn’t provide enough information to make a identification. Color can be used to identify only those few minerals that always have their own characteristic color. The mineral azurite is always blue. The mineral malachite is always green. No other minerals look quite the same as these. Color gold pyrite chalcopyrite

A steak of a mineral is the color of its powder. You can observe a streak by rubbing a mineral against a piece of unglazed porcelain tile. Even though color of the mineral may vary, its streak does not. Pyrite has a gold color, but always produces a greenish black streak. Gold produces a golden yellow streak. Streak

Is the term used to describe how light is reflected from a mineral’s surface. Minerals containing metals are often shiny. Terms used to describe luster include earthy, waxy, pearly, bright, metallic, and glassy. Luster

Density is the mass in a given space over volume. No matter the size of a mineral the density always remains the same. You can compare the density of two mineral samples of about the same size. Just pick them up and feel their weight in your hands. Density

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