What are Minerals?

 s - are building blocks of rocks

Mineralogy - study of minerals

Mineralogist - a person who study minerals

What do all minerals have in
common?
All:
- naturally occurring (product of Earth's
natural processes)
- inorganic (product of Earth's physical
processes)
- homogeneous solid (has definite volume
and rigid shape)

- has definite composition

- orderly crystalline structure
1.What element are diamonds made from?

2. What do all crystals have in common?

 Groups of Minerals

 Minerals are grouped by the elements

they are made of.
Beryl (Emerald)
Calcite

Amethyst
 M in e r a l Ch a r a c t e r i Ex a m p l e s
Gr o u p  Contain
s t ic s Quartz, mica
Silicates oxygen & silica
 The most

abundant group
of minerals
MICA Quartz
 M in e r a l Ch ar ac t e r i Ex a m p l e s
Gr o u p  Make
s t up
ic sonly iron, copper,
Non-Silicates 5% of the gold, silver,
Earth’s crust diamonds,
 Include some rubies
Silver
of the most
important Copper

minerals
Diamond

Gold Iron
Ruby
 M in e r a l Ch a r a c t e r i Ex a m p l e s
Carbonates
Gr o u p Carbon
s t ic&s Calcite (CaCO3)
oxygen and a
positive ion,
such as calcium

Calcite with Duftite inclusions

 M in e r a l Ch a r a c t e r i Ex a m p l e s
Oxides
Gr o u p • Metallic
s t ic sion Hematite
and oxygen Fe2O3
 M in e r a l Ch a r a c t e r i Ex a m p l e s
Sulfides
Gr o u p • Sulfur
s t icand
s a Galena (PbS)
metallic ion
 M in e r a l Ch a r a c t e r i Ex a m p l e s
Sulfates
Gr o u p •Metallic
s t ic ion,
s Barite (BaSO4)
Sulfur & oxygen

Barite
Barite on Calcite
BaSO4
BaSO4 / CaCO3
 M in e r a l Ch a r a c t e r i Ex a m p l e s
Native
Gr o u p • Single
s t ic s Gold (Au),
Elements elements Diamond (C),
Silver (Ag)
 Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)

Color
 Can be misleading
 Can vary with the type of impurities
 Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)

Luster
 Surface reflection
 metallic = shiny like Pyrite has a metallic luster

metal
 non-metallic = dull,
non-shiny surface
Calcite has a non-metallic luster
 Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)

Streak
 The color of the powdered
form of the mineral
 The color of the streak can be
different than the mineral
 Minerals must be softer than
the streak plate
 S t r e a k … c a n h e l p id e n t if y
q u a r t z
Their colors may vary (remember, color Bad!)

http://www.childrensmuseum.org/geomysteries/cube/b3.html
 Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)

Hardness
 How easily a mineral scratches
materials
 Mohs Hardness Scale
 Scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest)
 Test by seeing if the mineral can scratch
different objects (like human fingernail, copper,
penny, glass, steel file)
 F in d o u t m o r e …

 “Electronic” Hardness Test

http://www.childrensmuseum.org/geomy
steries/cube/b2.html
 Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)

Cleavage & Fracture

 The way the mineral breaks
 Cleavage—minerals break along
smooth, flat surfaces and
every fragment has the same
general shape
 Fracture—minerals that break
at random with rough or
jagged edges
4
.
 Physical Properties of Minerals
(can be used to identify the mineral)

* Crystalline Structure

* Diaphaneity/amount of transparency

* Tenacity - minerals reaction to stress

- malleability - flexible but inelastic

- brittleness - flexible and elastic
- ductility - sectility
Watch Brainpop—“Mineral Identification”
Username: ehms
password: bonac
Search “Mineral Identification” if it does not bring you right to the video.

If a mineral can scratch your fingernail,

the mineral is _______________ than
your fingernail.
Th e En d