EARTH SCIENCE – MINERALS

Minerals 6. Fracture
• Tendency of materials to break
• Naturally occurring inorganic solid that has
irregularly
a crystal structure and a definite composition
• Can be described as splintery, uneven or
Common Characteristics conchoidal
7. Specific Gravity
1. Naturally occurring
• Weight or heaviness of materials
• Formed by natural processes
• Expressed on the ratio of the minerals
2. Inorganic
weight to the volume of water
• Was never alive
• Didn’t come from a living organism Special Properties
3. Solid
1. Fluorescence
4. Unique / Definite composition
2. Magnetism
5. Crystalline Structure
3. Radioactivity
• Particles of a mineral line up in a pattern 4. Taste
that repeats forming a crystal 5. Chemical Reaction
Physical Properties
1. Color Types of Minerals
• Determines how a crystal absorbs and 1. Silicates
reflect light
• Composed of silicon-oxygen
• Easy to recognize but very misleading tetrahedrons (SIO4-2)
(should never be used as a major
• Comprises the majority of minerals in
identifying characteristic)
the earth’s crust
2. Luster
2. Native Elements
• Refers to the way a mineral reflects light • Composed of a single element
from its surface
• These are very rare. Only a few can be
3. Streak
found on the earth’s surface
• Color of a mineral from a powdered
• Example: Gold, Silicon, Copper, iron,
form left behind after it is
Diamond and Graphite
struck/rubbed/scraped across a streak
3. Halides
plate.
• Consist of halogen elements forming
4. Hardness / Mohs Hardness
strong ionic bonds with alkali and alkali
• Refers to how easily a mineral scratches
earth metals
materials
• Halides: Chlorine(Cl), Bromine(Br),
• Ability of a mineral to resist scratches
Fluorine(F), Iodine(I)
• Created by Federick Mohs 4. Carbonates
• 1 softest – 10 hardest (Talc – • Anionic groups of carbon and oxygen
Gypsum – Calcite – Fluorite – Apatite –
• Commonly found in sedimentary rocks
Feldspar – Quartz – Topaz – Corundum
5. Oxides
– Diamond)
• Include one or more metal cations
5. Cleavage
bonded to oxygen or hydroxyl anions
• Tendency of materials to break smoothly
• Example: Hematite(Fe2O3) and
• Has several directions/angles
Magnetite (Fe3O4)
 EARTH SCIENCE – MINERALS

6. Sulfates
• Includes SO4 anionic groups
• Can be Anhydrous (no water) or
Hydrous (has water)
• Example: Barium Sulfate (baso4)
7. Sulfide
• Composed of one or more metal cations
combined with sulfur
• Example: Pyrite, Molybdenum
8. Phosphates
• Naturally occurring inorganic salts of
phosphoric acid (H3PO4)
• Example: Apatite