EARTH SCIENCE

Prepared by:
Mrs. Renlie Jane P. Pedronan
ORE MINERALS: HOW THEY
ARE FOUND, MINED AND
PROCESSED FOR HUMAN
USE
LEARNING COMPETENCY
 Describe how ore minerals are found, mined, and processed for
human use (S11ES-Ic-d-8)
 Describe how fossil fuels are formed (S11ES-Id-10)
 Explain how heat from inside the Earth (geothermal) and from
flowing water (hydroelectric) is tapped as a source of energy for
human use (S11ES-Ie-11)
 Identify the various water resources on Earth (S11ES-If-g-15)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. describe how ore minerals are found.

2. identify the different mining method; and
3. explain the different steps in mineral processing.
What is mining?
is the process of mineral extraction from a rock seam
or ore

Ore
a natural rock or sediment containing
one or more valuable mineral.
What is modern mining technology?
 uses geophysical techniques that involve
measuring the magnetic, gravity and sonic
responses of rocks above and around a prospective
mineral ore body.
Methods of Mining

1. Surface Mining
a. Open-pit mining
b. Strip mining
c. Dredging
2. Underground Mining
Surface Mining
 used to extract ore minerals near the surface of the
earth.
 The soil and rocks that covered the ores are
removed through blasting.
 Blasting is a controlled use of explosives and gas
exposure to break rocks.
a. Open-pit Mining
 Open pit means a
big hole (or pit) in
the ground.
 The pit in mine is
created by blasting
b. Strip Mining
 involves the removal of a thin strip of overburden
(earth or soil) above a desired deposit, dumping the
removed overburden behind the deposit, extracting
the desired deposit, creating a second, parallel strip
in the same manner and depositing the waste
materials from that second (new) strip onto the first
strip.
c. Dredging
 This is the process of
mining materials from
the bottom of a body
of water, including
rivers, lakes, and
oceans
WHAT ARE MINERALS?

The building blocks of

rocks
Properties of Minerals

Color
 most obvious
properties of
mineral but not
reliable alone
Properties of Minerals

Streak
 refer to the color of
the mineral in its
powdered form
which may or may
not be the same
color as the mineral
Properties of Minerals

Hardness
 is a measure of the mineral’s
resistance to scratching
Properties of Minerals
Cleavage
 refers to the tendency
of minerals to break
along very smooth,
flat and shiny
surfaces
 Properties of Minerals
Fracture
 may break along random,
irregular surfaces
 it can be classified as
conchoidal, uneven,
hackly, splintery, and
earthy
Properties of Minerals

Crystalline
structure or habit
 refers to the overall shape
or growth pattern of the
mineral. • Equant
• Elongate
• Platy
Properties of Minerals
Luster
 describes the appearance of a
mineral when light is reflected
from its surface
• Opaque
• Transparent
• Dull
• Shiny
 Properties of Minerals
h. Sectility
i. Tenacity
Brittleness
Malleability
Ductility
Flexible but inelastic
Flexible and elastic
 Chemical Properties of Minerals
• Chemical properties of minerals show the presence
and arrangement of atoms in minerals.
• Some minerals, especially carbonate minerals,
react visibly with acid.
• When a drop of dilute hydrochloric acid is placed
on calcite, it readily bubbles or effervesces,
releasing carbon dioxide.
 Chemical Properties of Minerals
• Some are toxic like cinnabar and soluble in water
like halite.
• Metallic sulfide minerals form into sulfuric acid
when exposed to air and water.
• Uranium and thorium containing minerals like
Autunite (hydrated calcium uranium phosphate)
and Thorianite (thorium dioxide) are radioactive.
• Metals like magnesium are flammable.
 REFLECT
Upon knowing the value of minerals in our everyday
life, as a student, how can you help in conserving and
preserving the natural sources of these minerals? (For
example, graphite is a mineral found in pencil). Write
your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
HOME-BASED ACTIVITIES