Minerals

Properties of Minerals For a substance to be a mineral, it must have all 5 of these characteristics. Naturally Occurring – The substance must occur in nature; cannot be manufactured by humans. Inorganic – This means that the mineral cannot arise from materials that were once part of a living thing.

Properties continued… Solid – A mineral is always a solid, with a definite volume and shape. Crystal Structure – The particles of a mineral line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again. Definite Chemical Composition – A mineral always contains certain elements in a definite proportions. * Note!!! Minerals can be pure elements (made of 1 type of atom), or, pure substances (2 or more atoms in definite ratios). There are thousands of types of minerals, but only 12 are found commonly!!

Other Properties used to identify minerals. Disclaimer: Newage Enterprises makes no claims as to the healing Other Properties used to identify minerals. Hardness – A minerals hardness is one of the best clues to help identify which mineral it is. Mohs Hardness Scale – A test invented by Friedrich Mohs in 1812 to describe and compare the hardness of a mineral. Hardness Key Stone Comments 10 Diamond Hardest mineral known to man 9 Corundum (Sapphire/Ruby)  Harder than Topaz 8 Topaz  Harder than Quartz 7 Quartz Scratches Glass 6 Microcline Suitable for gems 5 Apatite About the hardness of teeth 4 Fluorite Cannot be scratched with a nail 3 Calcite Difficult to scratch with a nail 2 Gypsum Easily scratched with nail 1 Talc Very soft, chalk-like Disclaimer: Newage Enterprises makes no claims as to the healing

Other properties… Streak – The color of a minerals powder. Luster – How a mineral reflects light from its surface.

Breaking properties… Cleavage – When a mineral splits easily along flat surfaces. Fracture – When a mineral breaks apart in an irregular way. Most minerals have fracture!

Special properties… Fluorescence – Minerals that glow under ultra violet light have fluorescence. http://www.galleries.com/minerals/fluoresc.htm

Minerals From Magma How Minerals Form Minerals form as hot magma cools inside the crust, or, as lava cools on the surface. When these liquids cool, they form crystals. The crystal size depends on: The rate of cooling. The amount of gas the magma contains. The chemical composition of the magma. The deeper inside the Earth, the slower the rate of cooling, the larger the crystals.

Minerals From Hot Water Solutions Sometimes, the elements that form a mineral dissolve in water that has been heated by magma forming solutions. Solution – a mixture in which one substance dissolves in another. When the hot water solution begins to cool, the elements and compounds leave the solution and crystallize as minerals. Pure metals that crystallize underground from this process form veins. Vein – a narrow channel or slab of a mineral that is much different from the surrounding rock.

Minerals Formed by Evaporation Minerals can also form when solutions evaporate. Ex) the mineral Halite (salt) formed in thick deposits when ancient seas evaporated.

Mineral Resources The Uses of Minerals Minerals are the sources of metals, gemstones, and other materials used to make many products. Gemstones – a hard, usually colorful mineral that has a brilliant, or glassy luster. Metals – Some minerals are the sources of metals; aluminum, iron, copper, silver, gold. Other Uses – foods, medicines, fertilizers, and building materials.

Other Definitions Ore – a rock that contains a metal or economically useful mineral. Prospector – anyone who searches, or prospects, for an ore deposit. Smelting – where an ore is melted to separate the useful metal from other elements. Alloy – a solid mixture of two or more metals