What is a mineral?
 A mineral is a
naturally formed,
inorganic solid that
has a definite
crystalline structure.
 Inorganic means that
they are not made of
living things.
Characteristics of minerals
 1. Minerals are formed
by natural processes.
 2. Minerals are inorganic
which means that they
are not made from living
things.
 3. Minerals are crystals,
which have a repeating
inner structure.
 4. Minerals have the
same chemical
composition throughout.
What are elements?
 Elements are pure
substances that
cannot be broken
down into simpler
substances by
ordinary chemical
reactions.
What is an atom?
 An atom is the
smallest part of an
element that has all
the properties of that
element.
 Each element is made
up of only one atom.
What is a compound?
 A compound is a




substance made up of two
or more elements that
have been chemically
joined, or bonded.
Example: Na is sodium
Cl is chloride
NaCl is a compound of
sodium and chloride.
A mineral that is
composed of only one
element is called a native
element.
What is a crystal?
 A crystal is a solid
whose atoms, ions, or
molecules are
arranged in a definite
pattern.
Groups of minerals
 Minerals are divided into groups based on
their chemical composition. These groups
are:
 1. Silicate minerals
 2. Non-silicate minerals
Silicate minerals
 Minerals that contain a
combination of Silicon
and Oxygen are called
Silicate minerals.
 Silicate minerals make
up 90% of the Earth’s
crust.
Non-silicate minerals
 Minerals that do not contain a combination of
the elements silicon and oxygen form a group
called non-silicate minerals.