SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

School Year 2020 – 2021, 1st Semester

SUBJECT: _EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE _ GR. & STRAND/s _NON STEM______
MODULE # 3 LESSON # _5 & 6_
SUBJECT TEACHER: _MARIDEL B. BAUTISTA_

• TOPIC: EARTH’S MINERALS

• OVERVIEW:
From geologic perspective, a mineral must be naturally occurring
crystalline solid. Minerals found in dietary supplements are human-made
inorganic compounds that contain elements needed to sustain life. These
dietary minerals typically contain elements that are metals- calcium,
potassium, phosphorus magnesium, and iron. Although these two types of
“minerals” are different, they are related. The sources of the elements used
to make dietary supplements are in fact the naturally occurring minerals on
Earth’s crust. It should also be noted that vitamins are organic compounds
produced by living organisms, not inorganic compounds, like minerals.

• OBJECTIVES:
• Identify common rock-forming minerals using their physical and
chemical properties.
• Describe how ore minerals are found, mined, and processed for human
use.
• Value the importance of minerals and rocks in our daily lives

• DISCUSSION:
Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. Geologists define minerals as any
present inorganic solids that possess an orderly crystalline structure and a
well-defined chemical composition. A mineral must exhibit the following
characteristics:
Minerals exhibit the following characteristics:
• Naturally occurring: HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/mineral/pop"Minerals HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/mineral/pop" form through natural
processes, including volcanic eruptions, precipitation HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/precipitation/pop" of a solid
HYPERLINK "https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/solid/pop" out of a liquid
HYPERLINK "https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/liquid/pop", and
weathering HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/weathering/pop" of pre-existing
minerals. Synthetic diamonds and rubies, and other substances with a specific
chemical composition and structure produced by chemists, engineers, and
manufacturers are not considered true minerals.

• Solid: A true mineral must be solid HYPERLINK

"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/solid/pop" at temperatures
encountered at the earth’s surface. Liquids HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/liquid/pop" and gases are not
considered minerals HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/mineral/pop", they do not have a
characteristic crystal HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/crystal/pop" structure. Ice for example
ceases to exist as a mineral upon melting into liquid water.

• Inorganic processes: Any material produced through organic HYPERLINK

"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/organic/pop" activity – such as leaves,
bones, peat, shell, or soft animal tissue – is not considered a mineral HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/mineral/pop". Most fossils
HYPERLINK "https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/fossil/pop", although
they were once living, have generally had their living tissues completely replaced
by inorganic HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/inorganic/pop" processes after burial;
thus, they are considered to be composed of minerals as well.

• Chemical composition: Most minerals HYPERLINK

"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/mineral/pop" exist as chemical
compounds HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/compound/pop" composed of two or
more elements. The chemical formula of salt HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/salt/pop", or halite, is NaCl. A few
minerals, consist of only one type of atom such as graphite (carbon, in this case),
therefore, the chemical formula for graphite is written simply as C. All minerals are
defined by their chemical composition. Quartz, for example, has the chemical
formula HYPERLINK "https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/formula/pop"
SiO2 .The gemstone amethyst is a form of quartz that is colored pale to deep
purple by the presence of the impurity Iron (Fe).

An example of rose quartz Quartz (amethyst)

 • Orderly crystalline structure: Minerals are crystalline substance which means
the chemical composition of a mineral HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/mineral/pop" is reflected internally in a
regular, repeating arrangement of atoms HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/atom/pop", called the crystal
HYPERLINK "https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/crystal/pop"
structure of the mineral. The crystal structure of halite is shown in Figure 2a and
Figure 2b is cubic shape. The cubic shape of salt HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/salt/pop" crystals very clearly reflects
the right-angle bonds HYPERLINK
"https://visionlearning.com/en/glossary/view/bond/pop" between the Sodium (Na)
and Chlorine (Cl) atoms in its atomic structure.

Through organic and inorganic processes, minerals are formed. A few naturally
occurring substances called mineraloids have characteristic chemical compositions but
are amorphous (having no definite shape). Opal is an example.
Terms to remember:
• inorganic processes- are found naturally in the ground after the burial of the
living materials e.g. salt or calcium carbonate (from shells and corals reefs).
• crystal structure – the atoms of a mineral must be arranged in a definite
pattern such as quartz.
• chemical composition – a mineral is composed of two or more elements.

THE COMPOSITION OF MINERALS

There are approximately 4000 known minerals, uniquely defined by their chemical
composition and internal structure. From the previous texts, you are now familiar
with minerals such as quartz, halite (rock salt), gold, and diamond. Many materials
found on the Earth’s surface are not minerals. Water (H 2O(l)) is not mineral because
it's not a solid though having the same chemical formula with ice. Coal is not a
mineral because it is made up of plant remains, it lacks a particular composition,
and its atoms are not arranged in an orderly way. Although they are produced by
living things, the shells of such marine animals as clams are composed of
minerals. Out of all the elements found on Earth, only eight (8) make up 98.5
percent of the crust’s total mass.
 These elements, which are the ones most common in minerals, are listed in the
table below. More than 90 percent of the minerals on the Earth’s crust are
compounds containing oxygen and silicon, the two most abundant elements. Most
minerals are compounds. Quartz is a compound of Silicon and Oxygen. The
mineral galena is a compound of Lead and Sulfur. A few minerals, however,
contains single elements and are called native elements, these are minerals that
exists in their purest forms. Some of which include, Silver (Ag), Copper (Cu), Sulfur
(S), and Diamond (C). Often, differing types of minerals (compounds and native
elements) are found mixed together. Such mixtures of minerals are called rocks.

The precise chemical composition and internal atomic structure that defines each
mineral also directly determines its outward appearance and physical properties. Thus,
in most cases, general appearance and a couple of easily determined physical
properties are sufficient to spot the mineral.

Common Elements of
Earth’s Crust
Name Element
Symbol
Oxygen O
Silicon Si
Aluminum Al
Iron Fe
Calcium Ca
Sodium Na
Potassium K
Magnesium Mg
Other -

THE STRUCTURE OF MINERALS

A mineral is composed of an ordered array of atoms chemically bonded to make a
particular crystalline structure. This orderly packing of atoms is reflected in the
regularly shaped objects we call crystals. Rocks are considered to be a combination of
one or more minerals. The growth of crystals is affected by competition for space. The
following are some of the defining features of a crystal.

• Crystal structure
• Regular, geometric, smooth faces
• Orderly arrangements with repeating structures
• Each mineral always forms the same crystal shape
• Crystallographic axes are used to determine structure

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

Minerals differ from each other in chemical composition and architecture, and these
factors produce distinctive physical properties that enable minerals to be identified.

Minerals are solids formed primarily by inorganic processes. Each mineral has an
orderly arrangement of atoms (crystalline structure) and a particular chemical
composition, which provides it a singular set of physical properties. Minerals can be
identified by their color, luster, streak, cleavage, hardness, and even by their chemical
composition. Using these properties is one way a Geologist defines and identifies what
kind of mineral a specimen is.

1. Crystal form – The external expression of a mineral that reflects the orderly internal
arrangement of atoms. A crystal may be a solid, homogeneous, displaying an orderly
array of atoms and should be in any size. The shape of a mineral’s crystal is
determined by the arrangement of atoms within it. Some crystals have smooth, planar
and regular geometric shapes. These are what most people think of as crystals. These
crystals rarely occur in nature, however, to develop those beautifully-shaped crystals,
the mineral must have unlimited space for growing. When minerals start to form solid
structure, microscopic crystals form and grow. This results from the cooling of molten
material or through precipitation from a solution. These tiny crystals will continue to
grow until they run out of space. Their shape will simply reflect the form of the void
which they grew. A nicely shaped crystal such as a geode will be formed if the growing
crystal runs out of material before it runs out of space. Examples of which will include
pyrite and quartz.

A. Pyrite B. Quartz (variety: amethyst) C. Quartz (variety: white)

• Luster – This property describes the appearance of a mineral when light is

reflected from its surface. Is it shiny or dull: does it appear as like a metal or like
glass? Generally, the first thing you notice when identifying an unknown sample is
the mineral’s luster. Minerals that have the appearance of metals, regardless of
color, are said to have a metallic luster, like pyrite crystals. Minerals with a non-
metallic luster are described by various adjectives. They may be described as
vitreous (glassy -like crystals), pearly, silky, resinous, and earthy (dull). Some
minerals appear somewhat metallic in luster and are said to be sub-metallic.

Minerals with a metallic luster look like metals such as steel or Copper. They
possess characteristics of being shiny and opaque, even when watching through a
skinny edge. Many metallic minerals become dull or earthy when they are exposed to
the elements for a long time (like Silver, they tarnish). To determine whether or not a
mineral exhibits a metallic luster, you may want to check out a recently broken part of
the mineral and exposed it to light. Minerals with an earthy luster exhibits earth or dirt
like features. Like metallic minerals, these are completely opaque, but dull. One
example is rust on Iron or tarnish that forms on metals. Vitreous luster is like that of a
shiny glass which may vary from translucent to transparent. Remember that glass can
be almost any color, including black, so don't be fooled by the color. Also, a dark piece
of glass may appear to be opaque if it’s thick enough. If you hold a thin edge up to the
light you should be able to see light bleeding through. Minerals with a waxy luster look
like paraffin, typically translucent but dull. Moreover, minerals with pearly luster have
an appearance almost like a pearl or that of an abalone shell – translucent and glossy.
When exposed to sunlight, a rainbow effect is displayed on the surface (similar to an
oil slick).

A. Pyrite B. This rock contain gold & copper

• Color – This is the most obvious feature of a mineral but often an unreliable
diagnostic property. Many minerals are found in several colors. This is may be
attributed to the impurities added to the minerals. Some may have extra chemicals
in them that give them an unexpected color. One good example is quartz. Due to
impurities, quartz may have variety of colors including pink, purple (amethyst),
milky white, and even black.

Quartz (white & amethyst)

• Streak – This color of the mineral in its powdered form, which may or may not be
the same color as the outward color of the mineral. Streak is useful for identifying
minerals with metallic or earthy luster. Streak is obtained by scratching the mineral
on an unpolished piece of white porcelain called a streak plate. When the mineral
is rubbed across the plate, it produces a powder of that mineral, the reason that
the streak plate is harder than most minerals. When the excess powder is blown
away, what remains is the true color of the mineral. Streaking reveals the internal
color of the mineral thus it is more reliable than color in identifying minerals.

• Hardness – This refers to a measure of the resistance of a mineral to abrasion or

scratching. Geologists use a standard hardness scale, called the Mohs scale. It
consists of 10 minerals arranged in order from 10 (hardest) to 1 (softest).

Table: Mohs scale of mineral hardness

Relative Scale Mineral Hardness of Some Common Objects
Hardest 10 Diamond
9 Corundum
8 Topaz 8.5 Masonry Drill bit
7 Quartz
6 Potassium
Feldspar 5.5 Glass, Pocketknife
5 Apatite
4 Fluorite
3 Calcite 3.5 Copper Penny
2 Gypsum 2.5 Fingernail
Softest 1 Talc

• Cleavage – A mineral that exhibits cleavage consistently breaks, or cleaves,

along parallel flat surfaces called cleavage planes. Some examples are exhibited
by the following: halite, calcite, and fluorite as shown in the table.

Figure: 15 Common cleavage directions exhibited by minerals. (Photos courtesy of E. J. Tarbuck)

 • Fracture – Minerals that don't exhibit cleavage when broken have exhibits fracture
like quartz. Minerals that break into smooth curved surfaces like those seen in
broken glass have a conchoidal fracture. Others break into splinters or fibers, like
asbestos, but most minerals fracture irregularly. Fractures are generally rough or
irregular, instead of flat, and thus appear duller than cleavage surfaces. Some
minerals fracture in a way that helps spot them. There are other kinds of fracture
that exist in nature such as fibrous, splintery, or irregular.

• Specific gravity –The specific gravity of a mineral is the weight of that mineral
divided by the weight of an equal volume of water. The specific gravity of water
equals 1.0, by definition. Most silicate, or rock-forming, minerals have specific
gravities of two .6 to 3.4; the ore minerals are usually heavier, with specific
gravities of 5 to eight. If you compare similar-sized samples of two different
minerals, the one with the higher specific gravity will feel the heaviest; it has a
greater heft. For most minerals, relative density isn't a very noteworthy feature,
except for some, high relative density is distinctive (examples are barite and
galena). The average specific gravity for mineral is around 2.7.

• Other properties
•Taste – The salty taste if halite makes it easy to identify
•Smell – Sulfur smells like rotten-egg.
•Elasticity –A thin sheet of mica will bend and elastically snapback
•Malleability- Gold for example is widely use because of its ability to be hammered and
turn into sheets.
•Feel – Minerals like talc and graphite are easily identified due to the distinct feeling
they give to the observer; talc feels soapy while graphite feels greasy
•Magnetism – Some minerals with high Iron content like hematite can easily be
identified using a magnetite.
•Double refraction – Some mineral like the transparent calcite exhibits double
refraction when light passes through them. When a printed material is placed under
it, the text will appear double.
•Reaction to hydrochloric acid – Like calcite and other carbonates, some minerals
react rapidly to weak acids. When exposed to acids, these minerals will effervesce
(fizz) indicating the release of Carbon dioxide (CO 2) gas.

MINERAL CLASSES
Approximately 4000 minerals have been named and new ones are identified each
year, but only a few dozen are common. Eight elements make up the bulk of these
minerals, and represent more than 98 percent (by weight) of continental crust. The
eight elements that compose most rock forming minerals, are: Oxygen (O), Silicon (Si),
Aluminum (Al), Iron (Fe), Calcium (Ca), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), and Magnesium
(Mg). Oxygen (46.6% by weight) and Silicon (27.7% by weight) are the most abundant
elements in the crust of the earth.

All silicate minerals have the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron as their fundamental

building block. In some silicate minerals the tetrahedra are joined in chains; in others,
the tetrahedra are arranged into sheets, or three-dimensional networks.
The term ore is employed to denote useful metallic minerals, like hematite (mined for
iron) and galena (mined for lead) which will be mined for a profit also as some
nonmetallic minerals, like fluor¬ite and sulfur, that contain useful substances.
There are different kinds of minerals. They are classified according to their
properties, chemical composition or uses. Table 2.1 lists the common groups of
minerals with corresponding examples and uses.

Table 2.1 Common Groups of Minerals

Group Example Chemical composition uses
Quartz SiO2
Magnetite Fe3O4 Source of iron
Rutile TiO2 paints
Hematite Fe2O3 Ore of iron, pigment
Corundum Al2O3 Gemstone , abrasive
Ice H2O Solid form of water
Oxides
Chromite FeCr2O4 Ore of chromium
Ilmenite FeTiO3 Ore of titanium
Limonite FeO(OH) • nH2O Ore of iron, pigments
Hydroxides Bauxite Al(OH)3 • nH2O Ore of aluminum
Sulfides Pyrite FeS2 Sulphuric acid production
Galena PbS Source of lead
Sphalerite ZnS Ore of zinc
Chalcopyrite CuFeS2 Ore of copper
Bornite Cu5FeS4 Ore of copper
Cinnabar HgS Ore of mercury
Gypsum CaSO4.2H2O Plaster of paris
Sulfates Anhydrite CaSO4 Plaster of paris
Barite BaSO4 Drilling mud
Gold Au Trade, Jewelries and
coins
Silver Ag Jewelries and coins

Copper Cu Electrical conductor

Diamond C Gemstone, abrasive
Sulphur S Sulpha drugs chemicals
Native elements
Graphite C Pencil lead dry
lubricant
Platinum Pt Catalyst
Halides Halite NaCl Common salt
Fluorite CaF2 Component of steelmaking

Sylvite KCl Fertilize

 Carbonates Calcite CaCO3 Chalk, Portland cement, lime

Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 Portland cement, lime

Malachite Cu2CO3(OH)2 Gemstone
Azurite Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 Pigment
phosphates Apatite Ca5(PO4)3(OH) fertilizer
Turquoise CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8 Gemstone

• EVALUATION
• Answer the following questions:

• In your own words, describe the following properties of minerals:

Streak: When we say streak, it is the powder color of mineral rubbed in a scratching plate.

Color: Color of mineral is the actual color of its physical appearance.

Hardness: Hardness of mineral refers to its resistance to scratching.

Luster: Luster is the ability of minerals to reflect light on its surface.

Cleavage: Cleavage is known as the two dimensional surfaces on the appearance of a mineral.

• Fill the table below by identifying and grouping the minerals used to demonstrate
each physical property.

Streak Color Hardness Luster Cleavage

Hematite Quartz Diamond Copper Calcite
Pyrite Fluorite Corundum Pyrite Halite
Biotite Talc Topaz Earthy Fluorite
Quartz Topaz Quartz Galena Muscotive
Magnetite Potassium Calcite Feldspar
Feldspar
ii. VENN DIAGRAM
INSTRUCTION: Using the Venn diagram below, pick two minerals to compare and contrast.
Name at least 3 similarities and 3 differences between 2 minerals.

iii. True-False:
• All minerals exhibit cleavage.
• Rocks are aggregates of one or more minerals.
• Most minerals are economically important.
• Most minerals have a higher specific gravity than water.
• The micas exhibit sheet-type cleavage.
• A mineral can be composed entirely of one element.
• Nearly 4,000 minerals have been named
• The hardest naturally occurring mineral is corundum.
• Mohs scale is used to describe mineral property of diamond.
• Solid ice is a mineral.

• REFERENCES
• SHS/SCIENCE%20/EARTH%20SCIENCE/
EarthScience12_Q1_Mod2_Minerals_and_Rocks_ver3%20(1).pdf
• SHS, Earth Science Teaching Guide by DepEd, 2016