1. Bingham Copper Mine Bingham Copper Mine, UT World’s largest mine 1 mile deep, 3 miles wide

2. Atoms

3. Compound To make a compound, you bond cations (+) to anions (-) Compound has specific internal structure

4. Ionic Bonding Gain or lose an electron Electrons used in bonding -- the “glue”

5. Covalent Bonding

6. Outward appearance A mineral’s outward appearance is a reflection of its internal structure

7. Examples Fluorite Halite (salt) Calcite

8. Physical Properties Physical properties depend on a mineral’s internal structure and chemical composition. Hardness Cleavage Luster Color Specific Gravity etc…

9. Silicon Tetrahedron Silicon Oxygen Basic building block of >90% of minerals 1 Si 4 O ------ SiO 4 Pyramid shape “Silicate Minerals”

10. Most abundant elements

11. Silicate Minerals

12. Si tetrahedrons

13. Ionic Substitution When 2 or more ions substitute for each other in a mineral structure. For example, in the mineral olivine (Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4, ions of Fe and Mg can substitute freely for each other. The total number of Fe ad Mg ions is constant in relation to Si and O, but the ratio of Fe/Mg may vary from sample to sample. Ions must have same charge and be similar in size.

14. Polymorphism Same chemical formula, different chemical structure Example: Graphite “C” and Diamond “C”

15. Graphite Surface environment: Low pressure, low temperature

16. Diamond High pressure, high temperature

17. Non-Silicate Minerals Other important minerals are: - Calcite CaCO 3 : Important mineral in fossils and shells of sea creatures - Clay minerals: Make up the finest sediment in rivers and streams - Halite NaCl: Table salt - Native Elements: Au, Cu, Ag, Pt, C (diamond and graphite) Gemstones: - diamond C - emerald from a mineral called Beryl - Opal - Ruby & Sapphire from Corundum - Amethyst from quartz (SiO 2 ) - Topaz - Jade - Garnet Sulfides: - galena PbS - lead - sphalerite ZnS - zinc - pyrite FeS 2 - fools gold - penlandite for Ni, Pt - chalcopyrite CuFeS 2 - copper

18. New Cornelia Mine, AZ 1000’ deep

19. Cyanide leakage Cyanide is used to leach metals out of tailings piles. Cyanide pit

20. Acid Drainage Summitville, CO: All aquatic life absent for 17 miles away from mine.

21. How bad is it?

22. Tintic Mountains, Utah

23. Reclaimed coal mine, PA Site refilled, lined with thick plastic