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

2. ● 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:

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

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

5. ● 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:

6. 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

7. Wood

8. Gold

9. Fossil

10. Topaz

11. Bones

12. Granite

13. Quartz

14. Pearls

15. Talc

16. Icebergs

17. Diamond

18. Coal

19. Rock Salt

20. Wood Not a Mineral

21. Gold Yes! It is a Mineral!

22. Fossil Not a Mineral

23. Topaz Yes! It is a Mineral!

24. Bones Not a Mineral

25. Granite Not a Mineral

26. Quartz Yes! It is a Mineral!

27. Pearls Not a Mineral

28. Talc Yes! It is a Mineral!

29. Icebergs Yes! It is a Mineral!

30. Diamond Yes! It is a Mineral!

31. Coal Not a Mineral

32. Rock Salt Not a Mineral

33. 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

34. 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:

35. Sample Testing for Mineral Identification

36. Identifying Minerals LAB