Home and Personal Use

Aside from salt, other minerals compose some of the items and equipment found in our houses. Feldspar is a
component for ceramics, glassware, and pottery. It is also an ingredient in making soaps. Fluorite is also used in
ceramics and pottery. It is commonly known as a component of toothpaste in the form of fluoride. Gold,
silver, and platinum are made into pieces of jewelry and other important articles at home. Quartz is used for the
production of glass and fiberglass usually used at home.

Electronics, Infrastructure, and Manufacturing

Numerous minerals are important to infrastructure and manufacturing. A very good example of this is
copper. Copper serves as an important material in electronics and wiring because of its conductive
properties. Silver is utilized in electronics for the same reason. Silica is a mineral that contains silicon, a metalloid
that has some properties of metals such as the ability to conduct electricity. Tungsten and molybdenum are used
widely for the filament in incandescent bulbs because of their high melting points. Iron ores are used for stainless
steel production. Barium, chromite, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, and nickel serve as alloys in the production of
other metals. Bauxite is an ore where aluminum is derived. It is important for the production of cement for
construction. Copper and lead are also utilized widely in the construction field. Quartz, in the form of sand, is also
valuable in construction and manufacturing. Graphite, known in your pencil "lead”, can 

Economics
Mining of minerals contribute to the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country. Gold is used as a reserve and
serves as a backup for currencies. The amount of reserves of gold correlates to inflation. If the central bank of a
country buys gold, the country’s currency is affected because of the fluctuations in the supply and demand of the
currency.

Precious Minerals and Other Uses

Some minerals are used as gemstones. Rubies and sapphires contain aluminum oxide. Emeralds are from the
mineral beryl. Quartz is also considered as a semi-precious mineral. Diamond, a form of carbon, is considered as
the most precious mineral. It is also the hardest mineral (10 on the Mohs Scale). Though commonly used for
jewelry, some uncut diamonds are placed as additive for metal cutters because of its hardness.

In some cases, minerals are used in the medical field. Examples of these minerals are barium that is a helpful
additive to medicine in x-rays of the digestive system, and iron which is used to treat anemia.
The illustration below gives you an idea on how some minerals and ores used in industries look like.

Imagine that there will be a science contest in your school. If you were to invent something that can be used in your
community, what minerals will you use? Explain what your invention will be, what minerals will you use, and why
will you use these minerals.

Mining is the primary method of acquiring all these minerals. Some anti-mining groups are contesting about the
effects of mining on the environment. The pro-mining groups are defending that mining is not harmful to the
environment. Research on this topic and make a stand. With all the use of minerals but with the possible negative
effects in the environment, should all mining activities be stopped? Why?

 Minerals can be seen in everyday life.

 Minerals have various uses in the society, homes, and even personal use such as feldspar, fluorite, gold,
silver, platinum, and quartz.
 Minerals are also widely used in construction, electronics, and manufacturing like aluminum, barium,
chromite, cobalt, copper, iron ores, lead, graphite, quartz, silver, silica, tungsten, molybdenum,
and nickel.
 Some minerals have unique uses in the medical field as well as economics such as barium, iron, and gold.