1. Minerals & Their Properties

2. Organic & Inorganic Substances
Chemists divide Earth’s substances into these two major categories
Organic substances – contain large amounts of carbon and hydrogen joined together (products of living things)
Inorganic – do NOT contain carbon and hydrogen joined in that way

3. Minerals Inorganic solids that occur naturally
There are 4 Features of Minerals
Occur naturally
Inorganic
Solid
Have a crystalline structure
Most minerals are made of compounds of several different elements.
A mineral made of only one element is called a native element. (gold and silver)

4. Classifying Minerals Silicate Minerals Nonsilicate Minerals
Contain silicon and oxygen
Make up 90% of Earth’s crust
Examples: mica, quartz, and feldspar
Nonsilicate Minerals
Do NOT contain silicon and oxygen
Examples: copper, calcite, fluorite, gypsum

5. Identifying Minerals
Minerals can be identified by their physical properties.
Color (not the best way to identify a mineral)
Luster
The way the surface of the mineral reflects light
Place luster table here

6. Crystalline Structure
The regular pattern of the atoms in a mineral
Place crystalline structure table here
The way the crystals form and are arranged causes some minerals to break more easily in one direction or another.
Fracture
If the mineral breaks irregularly
Cleavage
When a mineral breaks regularly along a flat surface

7. Streak Hardness the color of a mineral in its powder form
It is not affected by air or water
If you rub a mineral across a porcelain tile (or streak plate) it will leave a stripe of color
Hardness
Each mineral has a distinct hardness that ranges from very soft to very hard
Fredrich Mohs developed a hardness scale based on ten relatively common minerals
Place Mohs’ Hardness Scale here

8. Density Other Properties The amount of matter in a given space
Density is found by dividing mass by volume (D=m/v)
Measured in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3)
Other Properties
Chemical reactions
Fluorescence (glow)
Magnetism
Conductivity (electricity can flow through it)