7th Grade Science Minerals section 3-1

Minerals A mineral is Not a mineral (coal) Naturally occurring Inorganic or not dead material Solid Crystal Structure Definite chemical composition Not a mineral (coal)

Minerals Inorganic- material was never part of an organism that was once living Crystal- A repeating pattern of a minerals particles. Not a mineral (coal)

Minerals Each Mineral has characteristic properties that can be used to identify it Color Streak  the color of its powder Luster How light is reflected from the minerals surface

Minerals Density the amount of “stuff” packed into a given area mass per unit volume

Hardness measured by Moh’s Hardness Scale a scale that ranks 10 minerals in order from softest (talc)to hardest (diamond)

Minerals Crystal Systems Cleavage  where a mineral splits along a flat surface Fracture  when a mineral breaks apart in an irregular way

Minerals Special properties Magnetism Glowing Fluorescence Reactivity