MINERALOGY

MINERALOGY
MINERALOGY
DEFINED • It deals with the study of minerals.

• Minerals are the basic unit from

which different rocks and ores of
earth are formed.

• Details of mode of occurrence,

formation, composition, types,
association, properties, uses etc. of
mineral are included in mineralogy.
 MINERALOGY
MINERALOGY DEFINED
• Knowledge of mineralogy is
necessary for a civil engineer
because physical properties of
rocks are dependent upon the
properties and composition of their
constituent minerals.
 MINERALS
MINERALS DEFINED
• A mineral is defined as a naturally
occurring solid , inorganic
,homogeneous substance having
definite chemical composition and
regular internal atomic structure .
 MINERAL TYPES
MINERALS DEFINED
• Ore mineral
Minerals from which we can extract
one or more metallic constituent
profitably

• Rock-forming mineral
Minerals, which are common
constituents of rocks, are called rock
forming minerals
SYMMETRY ELEMENTS OF
CRYSTAL SYSTEMS
 Individual Crystal Systems and the Axial System

o The crystal system is a grouping of crystal

structures that are categorized according to the
axial system used to describe their atomic
"lattice" structure.

o Each crystal system consists of a set of three

crystallographic axes (a, b, and c) in a particular
geometrical arrangement.
 Individual Crystal Systems and the Axial System

The seven unique crystal systems, listed in order of

decreasing symmetry, are:
1. Cubic System,
2. Hexagonal System,
3. Tetragonal System,
4. Rhombohedral System,
5. Orthorhombic System,
6. Monoclinic System,
7. Triclinic System.
 Cubic Crystal System
The three crystallographic axes a1, a2, a3 (or a, b, c)
are all equal in length and intersect at right angles (90
degrees) to each other.
 Hexagonal Crystal System
The hexagonal crystal system has four crystallographic
axes consisting of three equal horizontal or equatorial
(a, b, and d) axes at 120°, and one vertical (c) axis that
is perpendicular to the other three.
 Tetragonal Crystal System
Three axes, all at right angles, two of which are equal in
length (a and b) and one (c) which is different in length
(Shorter or Longer)

Note: If c was equal in length to a or b, then we would be

in the cubic system!
 Rhombohedral Crystal System
A rhombohedral has a three-dimensional shape that is
similar to a cube, but it has been skewed or inclined to
one side making it oblique.
 Orthorhombic Crystal System
Minerals that form in the orthorhombic (aka rhombic)
crystal system have three mutually perpendicular axes,
all with different, or unequal lengths.
 The Monoclinic Crystal System

Note: If a and c crossed at 90 degrees, then we would

be in the orthorhombic system!
 The Triclinic Crystal System
Crystals that form in the triclinic system have three
unequal crystallographic axes, all of which intersect at
oblique angles.

Note: If any two axes crossed at 90 degrees, then we would

be describing a monoclinic crystal!
CRYSTAL LATTICE
o A crystal is made up of an orderly and
symmetrical pattern of atoms called a crystal
lattice.

o A crystal's lattice is a three dimensional

network of atoms that are arranged in a
symmetrical pattern.
• Unit Cell - The simplest repeating unit in a crystal

• Each unit cell is defined in terms of lattice points

 DIAMOND’S CRYSTAL
LATTICE

NaCl CRYSTAL
LATTICE
 Symmetry Elements of Crystal Systems
o Symmetry is understood as a sort of
regularity in the arrangement of faces on the
body of a crystal.

o It can be studied with reference to three

different characters, commonly called
elements of symmetry. These are: plane of
symmetry, axis of symmetry, and center of
symmetry.
 Plane of Symmetry
Any imaginary plane passing through the center of a
crystal in such a way that it divides the crystal in two
exactly similar halves is called plane of symmetry.
 Axis of Symmetry
o It is defined as an imaginary line in a crystal
passing through its center in such a way that
when a crystal is given a complete rotation
along this line, a certain crystal face comes to
occupy the same position at least twice.

o There are four types of axis of symmetry which

are: two-fold, three-fold, four-fold, and six-
fold symmetries.
Axis of Symmetry
Two-Fold (Diad) Symmetry
This requires that a crystal must be rotated by
an angle of 180° to bring the reference face
occupy the same position.
Three-Fold (Triad) Symmetry
Objects that repeat themselves upon rotation
of 120o are said to have a 3-fold axis of
rotational symmetry (360/120 =3), and they will
repeat 3 times in a 360o rotation.
Four-Fold (Tetrad)Symmetry
If an object repeats itself after 90o of rotation, it
will repeat 4 times in a 360o rotation.
Six-Fold (Hexad) Symmetry
If rotation of 60o about an axis causes the
object to repeat itself, then it has 6-fold axis of
rotational symmetry (360/60=6).
Center of Symmetry
A crystal is said to possess a center of symmetry
if on passing an imaginary line from some
definite face, edge or corner on one side of the
crystal through its center another exactly
similar face or edge or corner is found on the
other side at an equal distance from the center.