Name/Period:
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Name/Period:
_________________________________________________________________
Minerals in everyday objects
Minerals in everyday objects
Minerals are found in everyday objects. All minerals come from the
Earth’s crust and must be mined.
The objective of this activity is to determine the mineral content of
common items around the classroom. Select ten marked items from
the stations provided and then make a hypothesis of the minerals
that would be found in the object. Then use the “Mineral Fact Sheet”
to determine the minerals of the object.
Minerals are found in everyday objects. All minerals come from the
Earth’s crust and must be mined.
The objective of this activity is to determine the mineral content of
common items around the classroom. Select ten marked items from
the stations provided and then make a hypothesis of the minerals
that would be found in the object. Then use the “Mineral Fact Sheet”
to determine the minerals of the object.
Items
What minerals do
you think are
found in the item?
What minerals are
found in the item
based on the fact
sheet?
Items
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
5.
5.
6.
6.
7.
7.
8.
8.
9.
9.
10.
10.
What minerals do
you think are
found in the item?
What minerals are
found in the item
based on the fact
sheet?
Mineral Fact Sheet
Mineral Fact Sheet
Wallboard – gypsum, clay, perlite, vermiculite, aluminum hydrate,
borates
Paint – titanium dioxide, kaolin, calcium carbonate, mica, silica,
wollastonite
Glass – silica, quartz, lead, titanium, sodium carbonate
Door Knob – nickel
Cement - limestone
Insulation - vermiculite
Matches – sulfur
Sun block – zinc
Utensils – nickel, iron, silver
Speakers – aluminum, cobalt, silver, silica, iron, titanium, graphite,
mica, carbon,
strontium, neodymium
Plastic – calcium carbonate, talc, wollastonite, barium sulfate, clay,
mica
Keys – nickel
Stainless steel – iron, nickel, molybdenum, chrome
Ceramic tiles – clay, feldspar, fluorite, lithium, silica, talc
Countertop – titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, aluminum hydrate
Knife – chromium
Table salt – halite, iodine
Sugar – limestone, lime
Toothpaste – calcium carbonate, limestone, sodium carbonate,
fluorite, mica, zinc
Carpet – calcium carbonate, limestone
Textiles – antimony, feldspar, tungsten
Dish soap – halite, sodium carbonate
Can opener – iron, nickel, chromium, molybdenum
Incandescent light bulbs – tungsten
Window panes – silica, lime, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate,
halite, feldspar
Brick – kaolin, shale, barium, manganese
Soda cans – aluminum
Cell phone battery- gold, tungsten, tin, and tantalum (refined coltan)
Wallboard – gypsum, clay, perlite, vermiculite, aluminum hydrate,
borates
Paint – titanium dioxide, kaolin, calcium carbonate, mica, silica,
wollastonite
Glass – silica, quartz, lead, titanium, sodium carbonate
Door Knob – nickel
Cement - limestone
Insulation - vermiculite
Matches – sulfur
Sun block – zinc
Utensils – nickel, iron, silver
Speakers – aluminum, cobalt, silver, silica, iron, titanium, graphite,
mica, carbon,
strontium, neodymium
Plastic – calcium carbonate, talc, wollastonite, barium sulfate, clay,
mica
Keys – nickel
Stainless steel – iron, nickel, molybdenum, chrome
Ceramic tiles – clay, feldspar, fluorite, lithium, silica, talc
Countertop – titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, aluminum hydrate
Knife – chromium
Table salt – halite, iodine
Sugar – limestone, lime
Toothpaste – calcium carbonate, limestone, sodium carbonate,
fluorite, mica, zinc
Carpet – calcium carbonate, limestone
Textiles – antimony, feldspar, tungsten
Dish soap – halite, sodium carbonate
Can opener – iron, nickel, chromium, molybdenum
Incandescent light bulbs – tungsten
Window panes – silica, lime, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate,
halite, feldspar
Brick – kaolin, shale, barium, manganese
Soda cans – aluminum
Cell phone battery- gold, tungsten, tin, and tantalum (refined coltan)