I Can classify minerals based upon their physical properties!

Minerals GLE 0707.7.1 Describe the physical properties of minerals. SPI 0707.7.1 Use a table of physical properties to classify minerals.

Review of Atoms and Compounds Each element on the periodic table is made of only one type of atom. Ex.) Gold is only composed of Gold atoms, Helium is only composed of Helium atoms. A Compound is a substance that is made of two or more elements: Sodium + Chlorine  Sodium Chloride (table salt)

What Are Minerals? Naturally formed inorganic (nonliving) solid that has a defined crystalline structure. How are minerals different than rocks? Rocks are composed of minerals but minerals are not composed of rocks.

Common Minerals Quartz- Mica- Pyrite- Feldspar- Realize these are just a few of the most common minerals. There are over 3800 recognized minerals! I don’t usually recommend Wikipedia but… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minerals_(complete)

Properties of Minerals Crystalline Structure- all minerals will have a repeating series or pattern of atoms or molecules. The shape of a crystal is determined by the arrangement.

Silicate Minerals Silicate Minerals- Contain both silicon and oxygen. Compose 90% of the Earth’s surface. Examples- Quartz, Mica, Feldspar.

Non-Silicate Minerals Very simply do not have silicon. Native Elements are one class of Non-Silicate Minerals- Made of only one type of element. Examples of Native Elements: Gold, Silver, Copper

Uses for Minerals Geology Kitchen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTXSwnkieZc Rocks and Minerals Discovery Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_fmgivwQKw

Have You Ever Played Guess Who? How do we identify characters in this game?

Physical Properties We can identify rocks in a similar way as playing guess who: Cleavage Color Hardness Luster Streak Texture

Cleavage Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along smooth planes parallel to zones of weak bonding. Fracture is the tendency of a mineral to break along curved surfaces without a definite shape.

Color Color is the most eye-catching feature of many minerals. Some minerals will always have a similar color, such as Gold, whereas some minerals, such as Quartz and Calcite, come in all colors.

Hardness Hardness is measured by the resistance which a smooth surface offers to abrasion. The degree of hardness is determined by observing the comparative ease or difficulty with which one mineral is scratched by another.

Streak The streak of a mineral is the color it displays in finely powdered form. The streak maybe completely different from the color of the hand specimen. One of the simpliest ways of determining the strak of a mineral is to rub a specimen across a piece of unglazed porcelain known as a streak plate.

Texture Characteristics related to grain size are known as a rock's texture—coarse-grained, fine-grained, and glassy are all descriptions of a rock's texture.