What is a mineral?
Objectives
• Define a mineral.
• Describe how minerals form.
• Identify the most common elements in Earth’s crust.
Vocabulary
– mineral
– crystal
– magma
– silicate
What is a mineral?
What is a mineral?
• Earth’s crust is composed of about 3000
minerals.
• Minerals play important roles in forming rocks
and in shaping Earth’s surface, and a select few
have played a role in shaping civilization.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Characteristics
• A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic
solid with a specific chemical composition and a
definite crystalline structure.
Naturally Occurring and Inorganic
– That minerals are naturally occurring means that
they are formed by natural processes.
– All minerals are inorganic, meaning that they aren’t
alive and never were alive during any part of their
existence.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Characteristics
Solids with Specific Compositions
– All minerals are solids with definite shapes and
volumes.
– Each type of mineral has a chemical composition
unique to that mineral.
– Although a few minerals, such as copper, silver,
and sulfur, are composed of single elements, the
vast majority are made from compounds.
– In some minerals, chemical composition may vary
within a well-defined range.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Characteristics
Definite Crystalline Structure
– The atoms in minerals are arranged in regular
geometric patterns that are repeated again and again.
– A crystal is a solid in which the atoms are arranged in
repeating patterns.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Characteristics
Definite Crystalline Structure
– At times and fairly rare, a mineral will form in an open
space and grow into one large crystal, possibly taking
the shape of one of the six major crystal systems.
Tetragonal
Cubic
Orthorhombic
Hexagonal
Monoclinic
Triclinic
What is a mineral?
Minerals from Magma
• Minerals can form from the cooling of magma.
• Magma is molten material found beneath Earth’s
surface.
• The type and amount of elements present in the
magma help determine which minerals will form
as it cools.
• Small crystals form from rapidly cooling magma
and large crystals form from slowly cooling
magma.
What is a mineral?
Minerals from Solution
• A given volume of water in a solution can
dissolve only so much of a solid before the
water becomes saturated.
– If a solution becomes supersaturated, or overfilled,
with another substance, mineral crystals may begin
to precipitate, or drop out of solution.
– When liquid evaporates from a supersaturated
solution, the elements remain behind and may
begin to arrange into crystals.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
• About 30 minerals are common in Earth’s crust.
• The most common minerals are often referred to
as rock-forming minerals because they make up
most of the rocks found in Earth’s crust.
• The vast majority of minerals are made up of the
eight most common elements.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
Silicates
– Silicates are minerals that contain silicon and
oxygen, and usually one or more other elements.
– Silicates make up approximately 96 percent of the
minerals found in Earth’s crust.
– The most common minerals, feldspar and quartz,
are silicates.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
Silicates
– One silicon atom attaches to four oxygen atoms to
form a silica tetrahedron, a three-dimensional shape
structured like a pyramid.
– The basic silica tetrahedron has the
ability to share oxygen atoms with
other tetrahedron molecules.
– This allows the molecules to
combine chemically and
structurally in a vast number
of ways.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
Silicates
– Some possible arrangements formed by silica
tetrahedrons include single chains, double chains,
and sheets.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
Silicates
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
Carbonates
– Carbonates are minerals composed of one or more
metallic elements with the carbonate compound CO3.
– Carbonates are the primary minerals found in rocks
such as limestone, coquina, and marble.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
Oxides
– Oxides are compounds of oxygen and a metal.
– Hematite (Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4) are common
iron oxides and good sources of iron.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
Oxides
– Other major mineral groups are sulfides, sulfates,
halides, and native elements.
• Sulfides such as pyrite (FeS2) are compounds of
sulfur and one or more elements.
• Sulfates such as anhydrite (CaSO4) are composed
of elements with the sulfate compound SO4.
• Halides such as halite (NaCl) are made up of chloride
or fluoride along with calcium, sodium, or potassium.
• A native element such as silver (Ag) or copper (Cu)
is made up of one element only.
What is a mineral?
Mineral Groups
What is a mineral?
Section Assessment
1. Match the following terms with their definitions.
___
B mineral
___
C crystal
___
D magma
___
A silicate
A. minerals that contain silicon and
oxygen, and usually one or more
other elements
B. a naturally occurring, inorganic solid
with a specific chemical composition
and definite crystalline structure
C. a solid in which the atoms are
arranged in repeating patterns
D. molten material found beneath
Earth’s surface
What is a mineral?
Section Assessment
2. What are the two ways that minerals can form
from a supersaturated solution?
Mineral crystals can precipitate, or drop out of
solution if the solution becomes supersaturated.
Minerals can also form when liquid evaporates
from a supersaturated solution leaving behind
the elements which may begin to arrange
into crystals.
What is a mineral?
Section Assessment
3. Identify whether the following statements are
true or false.
_______
true
There are about 30 common minerals in
Earth’s crust.
_______
false Slowly cooling magma produces small crystals.
_______
false Coal is a mineral.
_______
true
Silicates are the most common minerals
on Earth.
_______
true
Well-defined crystal shapes are rare.
Identifying Minerals
Objectives
• Classify minerals according to their physical and
chemical properties.
• Identify different types of minerals.
• Discuss how minerals are used.
Vocabulary
– luster
– fracture
– streak
– specific gravity
– hardness
– ore
– cleavage
– gem
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
• Geologists rely on several relatively simple tests
to identify minerals.
• These tests are based upon a mineral’s physical
and chemical properties.
• It is usually best to use a combination of tests
rather than just one to identify minerals.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
Color
– One of the most noticeable characteristics of a mineral
is its color.
– Color is sometimes caused by the presence of trace
elements or compounds within a mineral.
– In general, color is one of the least reliable clues to a
mineral’s identity.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
Luster
– Luster is the way that a mineral reflects light from
its surface.
– Luster is described as being either metallic
or nonmetallic.
– Metallic luster describes shiny surfaces that reflect light
like the chrome trim on cars.
– Nonmetallic luster might be described as dull, pearly,
waxy, or silky.
– Differences in luster are caused by differences in the
chemical compositions of minerals.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
Texture
– Texture describes how a mineral feels to the touch.
– The texture of a mineral might be described as smooth,
rough, ragged, greasy, soapy, or glassy.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
Streak
– Streak is the color of a mineral when it is broken up
and powdered.
– Sometimes, a mineral’s streak does not match the
mineral’s external color.
– A mineral’s streak rarely changes, even if it is
weathered or its external color varies slightly.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
Hardness
– Hardness is one of the most useful and reliable tests
for identifying minerals.
– Hardness is a measure of how easily a mineral can
be scratched.
– German geologist Friedrich Mohs developed a scale in
which an unknown mineral’s hardness can be
compared to the known hardnesses of ten minerals.
– Any mineral with a greater hardness than another
mineral will scratch that softer mineral.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
Hardness
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
Cleavage and Fracture
– Minerals break along planes where atomic bonding
is weak.
– Cleavage is the ability of a mineral to split relatively
easily and evenly along one or more flat planes.
– To identify a mineral by cleavage, geologists count the
number of cleaved planes and study the angle or
angles between them.
– Fracture is the ability of minerals to break with arclike,
rough, or jagged edges.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Identification
Density and Specific Gravity
– Differences in weight are the result of differences in
density, which is defined as mass per unit of volume.
– Density is expressed as a ratio of the mass of a
substance divided by its volume, or D = M/V.
– Density reflects the atomic weight and structure
of a mineral.
– The most common measure of density used by
geologists is specific gravity.
– Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a substance
to the weight of an equal volume of water at 4°C.
Identifying Minerals
Special Properties
• Special properties of minerals also can be used
for identification purposes.
– A type of calcite called Iceland spar causes light to be
bent in two directions, a process known as double
refraction, when it passes through the mineral.
– Calcite (CaCO3) fizzes when it comes into contact with
hydrochloric acid (HCl).
– Magnetite, an iron ore, is naturally magnetic.
– The mineral sphalerite produces a distinctive rotten-egg
odor when it is rubbed vigorously across a streak plate.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Uses
• Minerals are virtually everywhere.
• They are used to make computers, cars,
televisions, desks, roads, buildings, jewelry,
beds, paints, sports equipment, and medicines,
just to name a few uses.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Uses
Ores
– An ore is a mineral that contains a useful substance
that can be mined at a profit.
– Examples of ores include Hematite, which contains
the element iron and bauxite, which contains the
element aluminum.
Identifying Minerals
Mineral Uses
Mines
– Ores are removed by underground mining or from
large, open-pit mines.
– When a mine is excavated, unwanted rock and dirt,
known as waste material, are dug up along with ore.
– If the cost of separating the waste material becomes
higher than the value of the ore itself, then the mineral
will no longer be classified as an ore because it would
no longer be economical to mine it.
– The classification of a mineral as an ore may also
change if the supply of or demand for that mineral
changes.
Identifying Minerals
Gems
• Gems are valuable minerals that are prized for
their rarity and beauty.
• Gems such as rubies, emeralds, and diamonds
are cut, polished, and used for jewelry.
• In some cases, the presence of trace elements
can make one variety of a mineral more colorful
and thus more prized than other varieties of the
same mineral.
Identifying Minerals
Section Assessment
1. Match the following terms with their definitions.
___
C streak
___
D hardness
___
B cleavage
___
A fracture
A. the ability to break with arc-like,
rough, or jagged edges
B. the ability to split relatively
easily along one or more
flat planes
C. the color of a mineral when it is
broken up and powdered
D. a measure of how easily a
mineral can be scratched
Identifying Minerals
Section Assessment
2. How would an oversupply of ore possibly
change the mineral’s classification as an ore?
If an ore is over supplied, it could drive down
prices for the ore. This may create a situation
in which it would no longer be economical to
mine material, thus the material would no
longer be classified as an ore.
Identifying Minerals
Section Assessment
3. What is specific gravity?
Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a
substance to the weight of an equal volume of
water at 4ºC. It is a common measure of
density used by geologists.
Chapter Resources Menu
Study Guide
Section 4.1
Section 4.2
Chapter Assessment
Image Bank
Section 4.1 Study Guide
Section 4.1 Main Ideas
• A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a
specific chemical composition and a definite crystalline
structure. There are at least 3000 known minerals in
Earth’s crust.
• A crystal is a solid in which the atoms are arranged in
repeating patterns. The six main crystal systems are
cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic,
and triclinic.
• Minerals form from magma or from supersaturated
solution. Most minerals are formed from the eight most
common elements in Earth’s crust.
Section 4.1 Study Guide
Section 4.1 Main Ideas
• Oxygen readily combines with other elements to form a
diverse group of minerals, including silicates, carbonates,
and oxides. A silica tetrahedron is a three-dimensional
shape structured like a pyramid. In a silica tetrahedron
one silicon atom attaches to four oxygen atoms.
• Other major mineral groups include sulfides, sulfates,
halides, and native elements. Native elements such as
silver or copper are made of one element only.
Section 4.2 Study Guide
Section 4.2 Main Ideas
• Minerals can be identified based on their physical and
chemical properties. The most reliable way to identify a
mineral is by using a combination of several tests.
• A mineral’s color is generally the result of trace elements
within the mineral. Texture describes how a mineral
feels, and luster describes how a mineral reflects light.
Cleavage and fracture describe how minerals break.
• A mineral’s streak, hardness, and density are reliable
methods of identification. Special properties of minerals
such as magnetism also can be used for identification
purposes.
Section 4.2 Study Guide
Section 4.2 Main Ideas
• An ore contains a useful substance that can be mined at a
profit. If the cost of mining the ore becomes higher than
the value of the ore, then the mineral is no longer
classified as an ore. The classification of a mineral as an
ore may also change if the supply of or demand for the
mineral changes.
• Gems are valuable minerals that are prized for their
rarity and beauty. Trace elements can make one variety
of a mineral more valuable than other varieties of the
same mineral.
Chapter Assessment
Multiple Choice
1. What special property can be used to help
identify the mineral sphalerite?
a. It fizzles when it comes in contact with HCl.
b. It exhibits double refraction.
c. A rotten-egg odor is produced during a
streak test.
d. It is naturally magnetic.
Calcite reacts with HCl. Iceland spar and zircon exhibit
double refraction when light is passed through them.
Magnetite is naturally magnetic.
Chapter Assessment
Multiple Choice
2. A mineral with a metallic luster could be
described as ___.
a. silky
c. pearly
b. shiny
d. waxy
Silky, pearly, and waxy can all be used to describe
nonmetallic luster.
Chapter Assessment
Multiple Choice
3. Which ore is a source of iron?
a. bauxite
c. zircon
b. rutile
d. hematite
Bauxite is an aluminum ore. The ore rutile is a source
of titanium. Zircon contains no iron.
Chapter Assessment
Multiple Choice
4. A silica tetrahedron contains ___ oxygen atoms.
a. one
c. three
b. two
d. four
A silica tetrahedron is
made up of one silicon
atom bonded to four
oxygen atoms.
Chapter Assessment
Multiple Choice
5. Which of the following is an example of native
element mineral?
a. halite
c. copper
b. pyrite
d. anhydrite
A native element mineral is made up of only one element.
Halite (NaCl), pyrite (FeS2), and anhydrite (CaSO4) all
contain more than one element.
Chapter Assessment
Short Answer
6. Why are crystals that form in well-defined
shaped fairly rare?
Most crystals form in restricted space.
Chapter Assessment
Short Answer
7. What are the characteristics of minerals?
To be a mineral, a material must be a
naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a
specific chemical composition, and a definite
crystalline structure.
Chapter Assessment
True or False
8. Identify whether the following statements are
true or false.
______
true About 90 known elements occur naturally in
Earth’s crust.
______
false Oxides are compounds of oxygen and
another gas.
______
false Pyrite has a hexagonal crystal system.
______
true Ores must be mined at a profit.
______
true Rubies are more valuable than diamonds.
Image Bank
Chapter 4 Images
Tetragonal
Cubic
Orthorhombic
Hexagonal
Monoclinic
Triclinic
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