1. Minerals Objectives: Identify characteristics of a mineral
Describe the composition of Minerals
Explain how minerals have different structures

2. Minerals
Mineral: A naturally occurring, inorganic solid, with a distinct chemical composition and structure.
Halite: a.k.a Salt
NaCl

3. Mineral Characteristics
Occurs naturally
Solid
Definite chemical composition
Crystal structure
Inorganic (was never alive)

4. Chemical Composition Some minerals contain only one type of element.
Other minerals may have 2 more different elements.

5. Chemical Composition

6. Crystals
Crystal: regular geometric solid, usually has smooth sides called faces.

7. Crystal Structure
The orderly arrangement of atoms determines the crystal structure.
Quartz= SiO2

8. Crystals
Amazonite
Malachite
Rhodochrosite

9. Crystals
Tourmaline
Mottramite
Dioptase

10. Same Mineral Different Structure
Diamonds and Graphite
Both made of Carbon
Atomic structure determines properties

11. Goal: be able to explain how various minerals are made.
Mineral origins
Goal: be able to explain how various minerals are made.

12. Mineral Formation Ways to form minerals Magma Evaporation
Crystallization

13. Minerals from Magma In magma molecules are able to flow freely.
As magma cools, molecules move closer together, bond, and make a new compound.
If magma cools fast, your minerals have small grains, if it cools slow you have big grains.

14. Evaporites
When a solution evaporates, the water leaves, and what stays are the minerals
Salt Water: Water evaporates, the salt remains
Lake Beds

17. Crystalization Elements in an aqueous solution solidify into crystals.
Precipitate
Minerals left behind as water moves, drips, etc…