Minerals

Opening: Look at the following pictures. Decide if each object is mineral or a rock. Write your answers on the index card provided.

1. Mineral or Rock?

2. Mineral or Rock?

3. Mineral or Rock?

4. Mineral or Rock?

1. Mineral: (Biotite)

2. Mineral: (Olivine)

3. Mineral: (Quartz)

4. Mineral: (Muscovite)

What is a mineral? A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition

5 Characteristics that all minerals share Naturally occurring Inorganic Solid Crystal structure Definite chemical composition

Naturally Occurring Naturally Occurring means that the substance must occur in nature, it can not be created or manufactured by people.

Inorganic Inorganic means that a mineral can not come from something that was once living.

Solid A Solid has a definite volume and shape, its particles are tightly packed together and can not move easily.

Definite chemical composition Definite chemical composition means that a mineral always contains certain elements in definite, or exact, proportions Almost all minerals are compounds in which two or more elements are combined so they no longer have their distinct properties. Some elements occur in a pure form in nature and are considered minerals (almost all are metals such as copper, silver, and gold)

Crystal structure Crystal structure means the particles that make a mineral line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again, this pattern creates a crystal. A crystal has flat sides called faces that meet at sharp edges and corners

Crystal structure

Watch “Crystals” by Brainpop… .What element are diamonds made from? . What do all crystals have in common?

Groups of Minerals Minerals are grouped by the elements they are made of. Beryl (Emerald) Calcite Amethyst

Contain oxygen & silica The most abundant group of minerals Mineral Group Characteristics Examples Silicates Contain oxygen & silica The most abundant group of minerals Quartz, mica MICA Quartz

Make up only 5% of the Earth’s crust Mineral Group Characteristics Examples Non-Silicates Make up only 5% of the Earth’s crust Include some of the most important minerals iron, copper, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies Silver Copper Diamond Gold Iron Ruby

How do minerals form? 1) Cooling of magma (hot, liquid rock and minerals inside the earth (from the mantle)) Fast Cooling = No Crystals (mineraloids) Medium Cooling = small crystals Slow Cooling = large crystals

How do minerals form? 2) Elements dissolved in liquids (usually water)