200 likes | 347 Views
Minerals. What is a mineral?. definition : an element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline and is formed as a result of geologic processes. ALL MINERALS share 5 common traits!. How can you remember them? COINS!. O rganized Very specific pattern/arrangement of atoms.
E N D
What is a mineral? definition: an element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline and is formed as a result of geologic processes
ALL MINERALSshare 5 common traits! How can you remember them? COINS!
Organized Very specific pattern/arrangement of atoms. ALL MINERALS- COINS! Crystalline Having a specific internal structure, made of 1 or more elements. Inorganic Not formed of animal or plant material. Solid Not liquids or gases. Natural Not man-made.
Minerals can be made up of individual elements or compounds. Au Gold NaCl Halite
native mineral: mineral made up of single elementsex. copper, silver, diamond, sulfur
How do minerals form? from molten Earth materials evaporation of water heatand pressure
Although over 4,000 different kinds of minerals exist, only a few dozen are considered common
Mineral Identification Hardness Streak Cleavage Luster Color
Hardness -a mineral’s resistance to scratching * Moh’sScale of Hardness
Streak - color of a mineral’s powder
Cleavage the tendency of some minerals to break along distinct planes *if a mineral has cleavage, when it is struck, every fragment will have the same shape
Luster - the way a mineral shines in reflected light - either metallic or nonmetallic
Color - most noticeable yet least useful Why? - slight impurities can make clear minerals colored.... ex. diamonds
Some other additional tests: • Fracture – this occurs when the minerals breaks at random spots (not cleavage) • Specific gravity – ratio of a substance’s weight to the weight of an equal volume of water
There are also special tests used to identify specific mineralsEffervescence - ex. acid test calcite will fizz when hydrochloric acid (HCl) is placed on it. Magnetism – magnetite is magnetic!
Gemstones – a form of mineral that can be polished for monetary value Quartz – when it contains small amounts of iron we call it amethyst Corundum – is used in emery boards and sand paper; when it contains minor impurities and is polished it is sold as ruby and sapphire
Cubic zirconia • This is a synthetic (man-made) diamond • It is a durable stone, but not as hard as a real diamond • Is it a mineral?