1. Minerals

2. Matter Anything that takes up space and has mass.
Physical Properties: characteristics that can be observed with out changing the composition of the substance.
Chemical Properties: characteristics that describe what a substance is composed of and how it will react with other substances

3. Elements
A substance that has a characteristic set of physical and chemical properties.

4. Elements consist of atoms
Atom: the smallest unit of an element that has all the properties of that element.

5. Minerals
Occur naturally
Inorganic
Crystalline
Solid

6. Determining if something can be a mineral……
Ask 4 basic questions
Is the substance inorganic?
Does it occur naturally?
Is the substance a solid in crystalline form?
Does it have a definite chemical composition?
If the answer is YES to all 4 questions, then it is a mineral.

7. There are over 3,000 minerals!!!!
The 20 common minerals are called the
rock forming minerals
10 of these make up 90% of Earth’s crust

8. Two Main Groups of Minerals
1. Silicate Minerals
Contain atoms of silicon (Si) and oxygen (O)
Make up 96% of Earth’s crust
Feldspar: metal combined with Si and O
2. Nonsilicate Minerals
Minerals that do not contain Silicon (Si)
Make up 4 % of the crust
6 major groups

9. Are these silicate or nonsilicate minerals?

10. Crystalline Structure of Minerals
A specific geometric arrangement of atoms
Crystal: Natural solid with a definite internal pattern

11. How are crystal shapes studied?
X-rays

12. Crystalline structure of silicate minerals

13. 9.2 Identifying Minerals
Scientists that study minerals are called mineralogists
Journal: Why do you think studying minerals might be important?

14. Characteristics of minerals
Color
Luster
Streak
Cleavage/Fracture
Hardness
Crystal Shape
Density

15. Color
Easily observed
Unreliable

16. Luster The ability to reflect light Metallic: Ability to reflect light
Nonmetallic
Glassy (transparent)
Waxy
Pearly
Brilliant
Dull (earthy)

17. Streak Color of mineral in powder form
Use an unglazed ceramic tile called a streak plate

18. How a mineral splits apart when broken…
Cleavage and Fracture
How a mineral splits apart when broken…
Cleavage: When a mineral splits easily along a plane
Fracture: Break in uneven, curved, irregular patterns

19. Hardness The measure of a mineral’s ability to resist scratching
Measured using the Measure of Hardness Scale (MOHS)

20. What is the hardness of a mineral that can scratch quartz but is scratched by Topaz?

21. Crystal Shape

22. Density Ratio of mass to volume of a substance D = m/v
Units of measure: g/cm3

23. Special Properties of Minerals
Magnetism
Fluorescence
Phosphorescence
Double Refraction
Radioactivity

24. Magnetism
Attract small particles of iron due to magnetically aligned poles.

25. Fluorescence: Ability to glow under UV light
Phosphorescence: Ability to continue glowing after UV light source is removes

26. Refraction
Refraction: Bending of light rays as they pass through different materials
Double refraction: Light rays split into two parts

27. Radioactivity
When an unstable nucleus of an element releases a particle

28. Density Lab