1. Minerals

2. A Mineral is… 1. Naturally Occurring – made by nature – not by man Question: What are the 5 characteristics that all minerals share?

3. A Mineral is… 2. Inorganic - not alive, never was alive, not made from a living process Question: What are the 5 characteristics that all minerals share?

4. A Mineral is… 3. Solid – not a liquid or a gas Question: What are the 5 characteristics that all minerals share?

5. A Mineral is… 4. Unique Chemical Composition – every mineral is different Question: What are the 5 characteristics that all minerals share?

6. A Mineral is… 5. Crystalline Structure – atoms repeat in patterns Question: What are the 5 characteristics that all minerals share?

7. Crystal Shapes

8. Basics of Crystals Crystals are defined by the number of sides (faces) and the angles of these sides (geometry) What are the 6 crystal shapes?

9. 1. Cubic cubic – all sides are square

10. 2. Tetragonal tetragonal – 4 rectangles, 2 squares

11. 3. Orthorhombic orthorhombic – all rectangles, 3 different sized rectangles

12. 4. Monoclinic monoclinic – 4 rectangles, 2 parallelograms

13. 5. Triclinic triclinic – all parallelograms

14. 6. Hexagonal hexagonal - six-sided prisms. When you look at the crystal on-end, the cross section is a hexagon

15. Crystal growth lab

16. Mineral Groups Minerals are often grouped together by their composition (what they are made of) There are over 4,000 known minerals and only 7 groups What are the 7 mineral groups?

17. 1. Silicates (most common) Contain silicon (Si) and oxygen (O) Ex. Quartz, Olivine, Augite

18. 2. Carbonates Contain CO 3 Ex. Calcite, Dolomite

19. 3. Oxides Contain oxygen(O) bonded with 1 or more elements Ex. Corundum, Hematite

20. 4. Sulfides and 5. Sulfates Sulfides (contain Sulfur S ), Sulfates contain SO 4 Ex. Gypsum, Galena, Pyrite

21. 6. Halides Contain halogens (Fluorine, Chlorine, etc.) Ex. Halite, Fluorite

22. 7. Native Elements Mostly metals, found as individual elements Ex. Copper, Gold, Silver

23. How do Minerals form?

24. 1. Cooling magma or lava

25. 3. Evaporation liquid solutions Cooling liquid solutions

26. 4. Precipitate out of solution

27. 5 Characteristics Used to Identify Minerals 1) Hardness 2) Break Tendency 3) Luster (metallic/non-metallic) 4) Streak 5) Color

28. 1) Hardness (Moh’s Scale) - how easily a mineral can be scratched

29. 2) Break Tendency Fracture- breaks along rough, jagged edges Cleavage – breaks along smooth, flat surfaces Conchoidal fracture – curved breakage

30. 3) Luster (metallic/non-metallic) - how light shines off of its surface MetallicNon-metallic

31. Vitreous Luster

32. 4) Streak Color of a mineral when broken or powdered

33. 5) Color

34. Other ways to identify minerals Reactivity with acids Density/specific gravity Magnetism More special properties to come

35. Some Other Properties of Minerals Reactivity with Acid – Carbonate group Magnetic Fluorescence – glows under UV light Phosphorescence – glows after a light has been turned off Density Specific Gravity Crystal Shape Triboluminesence – sparks when hit

36. Reactivity with acid Carbonate minerals fizz when acid is applied Magnetic Some iron rich minerals are magnetic

37. Fluorescence Phosphorescence

38. Triboluminesence

39. Mineral Uses Minerals are used in many of our everyday products from toothpastes to pencils, from make-up to powders, from building materials to x-ray protection. The special properties of minerals allow us to use them for specific purposes and have made our lives better.