Silicon:
The Most Popular Element
in the Crust
Origin of Mineral Properties
Why are some minerals harder than others?
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The internal arrangement of atoms
Why do different minerals have different colored
streaks?
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The internal arrangement of atoms
Why do some minerals have cleavage and
others have fracture?
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The internal arrangement of atoms
What determines ALL of the physical properties
of a mineral?
The internal arrangement of atoms!
The Most Abundant Elements in
the Crust
Silicon (Si) and Oxygen (O)
A Common Bond
• Oxygen and Silicon like to bond together
• The molecule they make is a common
building block of many minerals
Quartz
SiO2
Olivine
(Fe,Mg)2SiO4
Amphibole
CaNa(Mg,Fe)4 (Al,Fe,Ti)3
Si6O22(O,OH)2
Feldspar
KAlSi3O8
(Na,Ca)AlSi3O8
Pyroxene
(Ca,Na) (Mg,Fe,Al)
(Si,Al)2O6
Biotite Mica
K(Mg,Fe)3
AlSi3O10(OH)2
Garnet
Fe3Al2Si3O12
How do you know if it is a Silicate?
Questions?