Minerals Chapter 3 Glencoe

Section 1 Minerals Objectives: Describe characteristics that all minerals share. Explain how minerals form.

Journal Entry What is a mineral?

Minerals A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a definite chemical composition and crystal structure. In order for a substance to be called a mineral, it must have all of the characteristics described in this definition.

Inorganic A mineral must be inorganic, or not formed from living thing or the remains of living things.

Solid A mineral is always a solid. Like all solids, a mineral has a definite volume and shape.

Chemical Composition A mineral has a definite chemical composition. A mineral may made of a single pure substance, or element, such as gold, copper or sulfur. Most minerals are made of two or more elements chemically combined to form a compound.

Crystal Structure A mineral’s atoms are arranged in a definite pattern repeated over and over again. Atoms not confined, the repeating pattern of a mineral;s atoms forms a solid called a crystal. A crystal has flat sides that meet in sharp edges and corners. All minerals have a characteristic crystal structure. There are 2500 different kinds of minerals.

Crystal Structure

Crystals

Formation and Composition of Minerals Many minerals come from magma, the molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface. When magma cools, mineral crystals are formed. How and where magma cools determine the size of the mineral crystals. When magma cools slowly beneath the Earth’s crust, large crystals form. When magma cools rapidly beneath the Earth’s surface, small crystals form.

Crystal Formation Crystals may also form from compounds dissolved in a liquid such as water.When the liquid evaporates, or changes to a gas, it leaves behind the minerals as crystals. Halite, or rock salt, forms in this way.

Most Abundant Elements The eight most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust are oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium. There are about 100 common minerals formed from the eight most abundant elements.Of these 100, fewer than 20 are widely distributed and make up almost all the rocks in the Earth’s crust.

Rock Forming Mineral Groups Chemical ClassificationMineralElements SilicatesFeldspar, Pyroxene, Olivine, Mica, Quartz Silicon, Oxygen CarbonatesCalcite, DolomiteCalcium Carbonate OxidesHematiteIron SulfatesGypsumSulfur, Calcium HalidesHaliteSodium, Chlorine

Mineral Identification Section 2 Objectives: Describe physical properties used to identify minerals. Identify minerals using physical properties such as hardness and streak.

Journal Entry What properties do we use to identify minerals?

Identifying Minerals Minerals have certain physical properties that can be used to identify them, such as color, luster, hardness, streak, density, crystal shape, and other special properties. Mineral Identification Part 1 Mineral Identification Part 2

Color The color of a mineral is an easily observed physical property. Color can be used to identify only those few minerals that always have their own characteristic color, such as malachite which is always green. The mineral azurite is always blue. Many minerals come in a variety of colors. Some are colorless.Colors can also change.

Color

The Many Colors of Quartz

Luster The luster of a mineral describes the way a mineral reflects light from its surface. Certain minerals have a metallic luster, such as silver, copper and gold. Minerals that do not reflect light have a nonmetallic luster, and are described by terms like glassy, pearly, dull and silky.

Metallic Luster

Non Metallic Luster

Hardness The ability of a mineral to resist being scratched is known as its hardness. Hardness is one of the most useful properties for identifying minerals. Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist, worked out a scale of hardness for minerals ranging from 1 to 10. The number one is assigned to the softest mineral, talc and 10 is assigned to the mineral, diamond.

Moh’s Scale 1-10

Streak The color of the powder scraped off a mineral when it is rubbed against a hard, rough surface is called its streak. The streak may be different from the color of the mineral. Streak can be observed by rubbing the mineral sample across a piece of unglazed porcelain, which is called the streak plate. A streak plate has a hardness slightly less than 7.

Streak

Density Density is the amount of matter in a given space. The density of a mineral is always the same, no matter what the size of the mineral sample.

Crystal Shape Minerals have a characteristic crystal shape that results from the way the atoms or molecules come together as the mineral is forming. There are six basic shapes of crystal structures: cubic, hexagonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, tetragonal and triclinic.

Crystal shape

Cleavage and Fracture The terms cleavage and fracture are used to describe the way a mineral breaks. Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to split along smooth, definite surfaces. Some minerals, like halite, break into small cubes. Micas cleave along one surface, making layers of thin sheets. Most minerals do not break along smooth lines.

Cleavage

Fracture

Special Properties Some minerals can be identified by special properties. Magnetite is naturally magnetic. Fluorite glows under ultraviolet light. Halite tastes salty. Sulfur smells like rotten eggs. Calcite fizzes when hydrochloric acid is added to. Uraninite is radioactive.

Uses of Minerals Section 3 Objectives: Describe characteristics of gems that make them more valuable than other minerals. Identify useful elements that are contained in minerals.

Journal Entry What are some of the uses for minerals? Cite specific examples.

Gemstones Gemstones are highly prized minerals because they are rare and beautiful. Most of special varieties of a mineral. Amethyst is a gem form of quartz.

Minerals and their Gems

Important Gems The Cullinan diamond found in south America in 1905 is the largest uncut diamond ever discovered. The largest cut from it is the Great Star of Africa. It weighs 106 grams (530.2 carats)

Hope Diamond The Hope diamond became famous because the entire family as well as a later owner suffered misfortune. The mass is 9 grams (45.52 carats).

Useful Gems Some gems are useful. Diamonds are so hard they can scratch almost any material. They are used as industrial abrasives and cutting tools. Rubies are used to produce laser lights. Quartz crystals are used in electronics and timepieces because the quartz will vibrate steadily when exposed to an electric field.

Ores A mineral is an ore if it contains a useful substance that can be mined at a profit. Iron can be mined from hematite and magnetite. Aluminum comes from the ore bauxite.

Smelting During smelting, a substance is melted to separate it from zany unwanted materials that remain.

Mineral Veins Under certain conditions, metallic elements dissolve in fluids. These fluids travel through openings or weak areas in rock and form deposits. The mineral deposits left behind are called vein mineral deposits. Sphalerite, a source of zinc, is formed this way.

Titanium Titanium is a lightweight, durable, metallic element that comes from mineral. Two sources are ilmenite and rutile. Titanium is used in automobile bodies, aircrafts, eyeglass frames, wheelchairs and sports equipment.