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MINERAL
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ROCK
LEARNING TARGET:
- Identify common rock-
forming minerals using their
physical and chemical
properties;
- Classify rocks as igneous,
sedimentary and
metamorphic
- describe how ore minerals
are found, mined, and
processed for human use
 Minerals
• Are naturally-occurring, inorganic solids with crystalline
structure ang chemical composition which may be fixed or
vary within certain limits.
MINERALS
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:
• Naturally-occurring
• Inorganic
• Solid
• Definite chemical composition
• Ordered internal structure
MINERALS
CLASSIFICATION BASED ON COMPOSITION:
• Silicates
• Oxides
• Sulfides
• Sulfates
• Halides
• Carbonates
• Native metals
MINERALS
SILICATES
Composed primarily of silicon-oxygen tetrahedrons
(SiO) and are major rock-forming minerals.

OLIVINE QUARTZ
((Mg,Fe)2SiO4) (SiO2)
MINERALS
OXIDES
Consist of metal cations bonded to oxygen anions

MAGNETITE HEMATITE
(Fe3O4) (Fe2O3)
MINERALS
SULFIDES
Consist of metal cations bonded to sulfide ()

PYRITE
GALENA (FeS2)
(PbS)
MINERALS
SULFATES
2-
Consist of a metal cation bonded to the SO4 )
anionic group

GYPSUM
(CaSO4 • 2H2O)
MINERALS
HALIDES
Composed of halogen ion, such as, chlorine or
fluorine

SALT (NaCl) FLUORITE (CaF2)

MINERALS
CARBONATES
2-
Characterized by the presence of carbonic ion (CO3 )
which bonds element such calcium or magnesium

DOLOMITE
CALCITE (CaCO3) (CaMg(CO3)2)
MINERALS
NATIVE METALS
Consist of a single metal such as copper (Cu) and
gold (Au)
 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
MINERALS • Color and streak
• Hardness
• Cleavage and fracture
• Crystalline Structure
• Transparency
• Magnetism
• Tenacity
• Luster
• Density
 MINERALS COLOR AND STREAK
Streak is the color of a mineral in its
Color is the most evident characteristic powdered form. It can be obtained by
and is usually the first property used to rubbing the mineral on an abrasive
identify minerals. ceramic tile called streak plate.
MINERALS

HARDNESS
Measurement
of the strength
of the chemical
bonds in its
structure
MINERALS

CLEAVAGE AND
FRACTURE
The tendency of a
mineral to break
along planes of
weakness
 CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE
MINERALS
Crystal form is due to mineral’s definite chemical
composition. Habit is the outward appearance of the
mineral’s crystal form.

granular massive
tabular reniform
dendritic drusy
acicular encrusting
MINERALS
Transparency
• It indicates the
extent of light that
can pass through the
minerals.

Quartz
MINERALS
Magnetism
• It indicates the
ability of mineral to
attract or repel other
minerals.

Lodestone
MINERALS
Tenacity
• is the mineral’s ability to hold its particles
together or the mineral’s level of
resistance to stress such as bending,
breaking, crushing, or tearing.
MINERALS LUSTER
Describes the appearance of light as it is reflected off
its surface
MINERALS
Odor
is a distinct smell of a mineral
that is usually released from a
chemical reaction manifested
when the mineral is subjected
to water, heat, air, or friction.
MINERALS

DENSITY
Specific gravity is a measure
of the density of a mineral
 OPENING PRAYER
Come Holy Sprit,
Fill the heart of thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of
your love. Send forth thy spirit and thy shall be created and
thy shall renew the face of the earth.
Oh God,
Who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the heart of
thy faithful. Grant us with the same Holy Spirit to be loved
and relished for what is right. And just always enjoy the
same comfort through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Rocks and
Rock Cycle
 ROCKS
 Rocks are natural substances consisting of aggregate
minerals clumped together with other Earth materials
glued by natural processes.
 Rocks are found in the lithosphere, which derived from
the Greek word “lithos” meaning “stone”.
 Igneous • Are formed from the cooling and
solidification of molten or partially
Rocks molten volcanic material that came
from within the earth like magma.
came form the Latin
Igneous rocks have many uses.
word “ignis” or
-Granite, for example, is used for
“igneus” which flooring or as table tops.
means “fiery” or
“fire”
  This rocks are the products of the
Sedimentary lithification of particles produced by the
Rocks weathering of other pre-existing rocks.
 rocks that have formed from different
material deposits on Earth’s surface.
came form the
Latin word Example of sedimentary rocks are
“sedentarius” sandstones, limestones, and shales, which
which means are all used in construction materials such as
“sitting”. bricks and cement.
  are rocks that are formed from igneous
Metamorphic or sedimentary rocks that were
Rocks exposed to high pressure, high
temperature, or a combination of both,
deep below the surface of Earth.
meta means This rocks are commonly used for building
“change” and materials, artwork, and decoration and as
components of toothpaste, plastics and
morph means
paper. Rock such as marble, quartzite,
“form” gneiss, and schist.
Finding and Mining Minerals
• An ore is a rock that contains minerals with useful elements.
• Geologic processes create and concentrate minerals that are
valuable natural resources. Geologists study geological
formations and then test the physical and chemical properties of
soil and rocks to locate possible ores and determine their size
and concentration.
• A mineral deposit will only be mined if it is profitable. A
concentration of minerals is only called an ore deposit if it is
profitable to mine.
Finding and Mining Minerals
• Mineral deposits are found by geologists by mapping Earth’s
surface for clues of valuable minerals. Usually, they look for
clues in exposed rocks that may have discoloration or other
distinct properties of minerals.
Two basic types of Mining
• Surface Mining
• Underground Mining
Surface Mining
• Surface mining allows extraction of ores that
are close to Earth’s surface.
• It involves the removal and stripping of
surface vegetation, dirt, and layers of bedrock
to reach the mineral deposits.
• open-pit mining, strip mining, mountaintop
removal mining, and highwall mining
 Surface Mining
Kennecott Utah Copper’s Bingham Canyon Mine

Two-story high haul trucks can carry

hundreds of tons of ore.
 Surface Mining
Albert Frei & Sons Sand Quarry in Idaho
Springs, Colorado Rock of Ages Granite Quarry in Barre,
Vermont
There are two basic types of Mining.
Underground Mining
• This is a mining technique used to dig tunnels
or shafts at greater depths to reach hard
mineral deposits like ore that may contain
gold, silver, and copper.
• Underground mining is used to recover ores
that are deeper into Earth’s surface.
Underground Mining
Nickel Miners Underground Drill
 Underground Mining
Longwall coal mining cuts a slice from the long wall.
Notice the safety gear that these miners wear
everyday.
 Extraction
is the process of
removing mineral
resources from the
Earth’s crust.
Drilling to set charges for a blast.
Carefully controlled blasting breaks up the rock.
Blasted ore is hauled to the crusher.
Crushers/grinders break up the ore
to the size of small pebbles or sand.
 Minerals are different, so many
different types of processing are
needed to remove them from the rock.
Following are just a few processes.
 Milling
This rock contains gold.
Milling is the process of
separating the desired
mineral from the
unwanted rock (called
gangue.) See if you can
find the specks of gold.
Concentration and Flotation
Some minerals are separated
by washing, flotation or
magnetic separation. Here a
combination of water,
chemicals, air and agitation
make desired mineral
particles float to the top of
the bubbles.
 Smelting
Smelting uses high
heat and chemicals to
remove base metals
and impurities from
concentrates. Smelting
furnaces can reach
temperatures above
1064°Celcius.
 Electrowinning
Starter sheets are lowered
into a solution. An electrical
charge passes through
causing copper ions to stick
to the sheets.
Thank you for
Listening