Mrs. Akin 6 th Grade Earth Science What is a Mineral?

● S olid ● Cannot be a liquid or a gas ● N aturally Occurring ● Found in nature, not man-made ● I norganic ● Is not alive and never was, non-living ● F ormula ● Has a chemical formula, most are formed from compounds of two or more elements, some minerals consist of one element ex. Au ● C rystal Structure ● A definite structure in which atoms are arranged Properties of Minerals:

A mineral is a naturally formed, inorganic solid that has a definite crystalline structure. Definition :

Mineral: Solid with definite chemical composition and orderly arrangement of atoms

● Is it non-living material? ● Is it a solid? ● Is it formed in nature? ● Does it have a crystalline structure? Questions to ask yourself when determining if an item is a mineral or not:

The next few slides show an assortment of items. With the person sitting next to you categorize the items as either: Minerals or Non-Minerals

Wood

Gold

Fossil

Topaz

Bones

Granite

Quartz

Pearls

Talc

Icebergs

Diamond

Coal

Rock Salt

Wood Not a Mineral

Gold Yes! It is a Mineral!

Fossil Not a Mineral

Topaz Yes! It is a Mineral!

Bones Not a Mineral

Granite Not a Mineral

Quartz Yes! It is a Mineral!

Pearls Not a Mineral

Talc Yes! It is a Mineral!

Icebergs Yes! It is a Mineral!

Diamond Yes! It is a Mineral!

Coal Not a Mineral

Rock Salt Not a Mineral

And the answers are… ● Minerals a) Gold b) Topaz c) Quartz d) Talc e) Iceberg* f) Diamonds Non-Minerals Wood - once living Fossils – once living Bone - living material Granite - intrusive igneous rock Pearls – made by oysters Coal - Sedimentary rock Rock Salt – Sedimentary rock According to IMA – ice is listed as a mineralIMA

Color and Appearance Hardness The way it reflects light (Luster) The color of a mineral in powdered form (Streak) The way a mineral breaks (Cleavage and Fracture) Other Properties Minerals can be identified by physical properties:

Sample Testing for Mineral Identification

Identifying Minerals LAB