Notes on “What do minerals do for you?” and A Mineral Is…. Powerpoint
 A mineral is……

__________________________________( which means that _______________________
and ______________________________________________)

__________________________________( which means that _______________________
__________ and ___________________________________)

_____________________________( which means that it is not a _____________ or a
______________________________________________)

With a ______________________________________________( which means that it has
crystals that are _____________________, tetragonal,
orthorhombic, monoclinic or triclinic.)

And a definite __________________________________________( which means that it
___________________________________________)
An example of a mineral and its chemical formula is ______________________________

Some minerals that we use every day in our homes and the products that are made from them are
_________________________________________________________________________

Some minerals that our body needs in order for us to stay healthy are
_________________________________________________________________________
Match the definition of a mineral property to the property:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
__________naturally occurring
_________inorganic
_________solid
_________crystalline structure
________ definite chemical composition
a) is not living not has ever been living
b) is composed of the same substances throughout it
c) is made of cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, etc
d) is neither liquid nor a gas
e) is not man made
Use what you have learned about minerals to determine why the items below CANNOT be minerals.
6. A rock consists of shells from ancient sea beds that were compressed over time. Why can’t it be a
mineral? ________________________________________________________________________
7. Coal is formed from the decayed remains of plants that lived in a swampy area millions of years ago. Why
can’t it be a mineral? ________________________________________________________________
8. Steel is an alloy of iron and other metallic elements that have been melted together under high heat. Why
can’t steel be a mineral?______________________________________________________________
9. Mercury is an element that is liquid at room temperature. Why can’t it be a mineral?
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. Conglomerate is a rock that contains pebbles, sand and gravel that have become cemented together with
minerals. Why can’t it be a mineral? __________________________________________________
11. Reflect on the mineral activities we have done in class. List as many properties as you can that helped us to
identify the mineral samples.
1)__________________________2)________________________3)_______________________
4)__________________________5)________________________6)_______________________