1. Goal 1 Fascinating Fact Students will be understand what a mineral is.
The elements oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium make up 99 percent of all minerals on Earth.

2. GRANITE Minerals make up rocks. quartz hornblende plagioclase feldspar
biotite mica
Minerals make up rocks.

3. Who Cares?
Why do we care about minerals?
Take a look around you!
They have to come from somewhere! And they are a NON-renewable resource!
Raise your hand if you have a(n):
Television
iPod
Computer
Microwave
Bicycle
Refrigerator
Cell phone
3 or more cell phones in the past year
Minerals are used to make practically everything!

4. What is a mineral?
A mineral is any naturally occurring, solid, inorganic substance characterized by an exact crystal structure.
Minerals are the building blocks of rocks
To be called a mineral it must have the following 5 characteristics:

5. Two Groups of Minerals
Minerals are divided into two groups based on their chemical composition:
Silicate Minerals
Nonsilicate Minerals
The environment during crystallization and the chemical composition of molten rock determine which minerals are produced.

6. 1. Silicate Minerals
A mineral that contains a combination of silicon, oxygen, and one or more metals.
Make up over 90% of the Earth’s crust.
Feldspar
Quartz

7. 2. Nonsilicate Minerals
A mineral that does not contain compounds of silicon and oxygen.
Gypsum
Copper
Galena

8. Mineral characteristic #1
occurs naturally
not artificial or man-made

9. Mineral characteristic #2
Solid
not a liquid or a gas
Platinum
(It might take two billion tons of ore to produce one pound of platinum!)

10. Mineral characteristic #3
Definite chemical composition
Some minerals like gold or silver are made of only one element. (A substance such as iron, oxygen, and gold which cannot be separated or broken down by ordinary chemical methods)
Other minerals, like quartz and calcite, are combinations of two or more elements.

11. Mineral characteristic #4
atoms arranged in an orderly pattern
Minerals are usually solid crystals. They have a number of flat surfaces in an orderly arrangement. For example, a crystal of quartz is always hexagonal because of the way the atoms of silicon and oxygen join together.

12. Mineral characteristic #5
Inorganic - not alive and never alive

13. SNIFE Solid Naturally Occurring Inorganic Fixed Composition
Not Liquid or Gas or Plasma
Naturally Occurring
Not Human-Made
Inorganic
Not Alive - Never Was
Fixed Composition
Same Recipe, Everywhere, Every Time
Element or Compound
Not a Mixture

14. Is this a Mineral?
Are plastic materials such as bottles considered minerals?
Why/Why not?

15. Is this a Mineral? NO! -Plastic is a man made substance.
Are plastic materials such as bottles considered minerals?
Why/Why not?
NO!
-Plastic is a man made substance.

16. Is this a Mineral?
Is water , pictured to the left, considered a mineral?
Why/Why Not?

17. Is this a Mineral?
Is water , pictured to the left, considered a mineral?
Why/Why Not?
No!
Liquids are not minerals, only solids can be considered minerals.

18. Is this a Mineral?
Is ice considered a mineral?
Why/Why not?

19. Ice is considered a mineral.
Is this a Mineral?
Is ice considered a mineral?
Why/Why not?
Yes!
Ice is considered a mineral.

20. Is this a Mineral?
Is wood considered a mineral?
Why/Why not?

21. Is this a Mineral? NO! Is wood considered a mineral? Why/Why not?
-Wood come from trees, that are alive.

22. Is this a Mineral?
Are diamonds considered minerals?
Why/Why not?

23. Is this a Mineral?
Are diamonds considered minerals?
Why/Why not?
Yes!