Minerals

Minerals Minerals are:  Formed in nature  Solid  Never been alive.

Properties of Minerals

Hardness  How hard or soft a mineral is.  You can test using:

Luster  Luster measures if a mineral is shiny or dull.

Color and shape  The color and shape of a mineral tells scientists what that mineral could be.

What do we need minerals for?

How minerals are used:  For your health  Used to make things such as glass, baseball bats, iron.  Used to make jewelry (such as gold and diamonds)

Aluminum  Used in packaging, transportation and building.  Used to make cans, bicycles and baseball bats.

Coal  One of the world’s major sources of energy. In the United States, coal provides approximately 23% of all the energy consumed.  Coal is used to produce more than half of all the electrical energy that is generated and used in the United States.

Feldspar  Feldspar is used to make dinnerware and bathroom and building tiles.  In ceramics and glass production, feldspar is used as a flux. A flux is a material that lowers the melting temperature of another material, in this case, glass.

Summary  Minerals are nonliving, solid, and formed in nature.  There are many different types of minerals.  Minerals are found in the Earth.  Minerals have many different types of uses.