Chapter 3: Matter and Minerals (part )

MineraIs: the buiIding bIocks of rocks

Definition of a MineraI:
naturally occurring
inorganic
solid
characteristic crystalline structure
definite chemical composition
ow do we identify mineraIs?
PhysicaI properties:
1. Color
2. Luster
3. Hardness
4. Crystal shape
5. Cleavage
6. Specific gravity
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
1. CoIor:
Most obvious, but often misleading
Different colors may result from impurities
Example:
"uartz
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
CoIor:
Streak color of a mineral in powdered form
(used for metallic minerals)
Obtained by scratching
a mineral on a piece of
unglazed porcelain.
Example:
Hematite
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
2. Luster:
How a mineral surface reflects light
Two major types:
Metallic luster
Non-metallic luster
etallic
example:
alena
Non-metallic
example:
Orthoclase
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
3. ardness:
How easy it is to scratch a mineral
Mohs Scale of Hardness
relative scale
consists of 10 minerals, ranked 1 (softest)
to 10 (hardest)
Mohs ScaIe of ardness
Hardest (10) Diamond
Softest (1) Talc
Common objects:
- Fingernail (2.5)
- Copper penny (3.5)
- Wire nail (4.5)
- lass (5.5)
- Streak plate (6.5)
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
4. CrystaI shape (or form):
external expression of a mineral's internal
atomic structure
planar surfaces are called crystal faces
angles between crystal faces are constant for
any particular mineral
"uartz
Pyrite
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
5. CIeavage:
tendency of a mineral to break along planes
of weakness
Do not confuse cleavage planes with crystal faces!
Crystal faces are just on the surface and may not
repeat when the mineral is broken.
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
CIeavage is described by:
Number of planes
Angles between adjacent planes
These are constant for a particular mineral
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
CIeavage (1 direction):
Example: mica
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
CIeavage (2 directions):
orthoclase
amphibole
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
CIeavage (3 directions):
halite
calcite
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
CIeavage (4 directions):
fluorite
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
Fracture:
minerals that do not exhibit cleavage are said to
fracture
smooth, curved
surfaces when
minerals break in a
glass-like manner:
conchoidal fracture
Quartz
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
6. Specific gravity:
weight of a mineral divided by weight of an
equal volume of water
metallic minerals tend to have higher specific
gravity than non-metallic minerals
alena
S.5
"uartz
S2.6
PhysicaI Properties of MineraIs
Other properties:
taste (halite tastes salty)
feel (talc feels soapy, graphite feels greasy)
magnetism (magnetite attracts a magnet)
#ock-forming mineraIs
~30 common minerals make up most rocks in
Earth's crust
Composed mainly of the 8 elements that
make up over 98% of the crust
MineraI Groups
MineraI Groups
All others: 1.5%
Element Abundances
SiIica SiIica
(SiO (SiO
4 4
) )
4 4- -
SILICATES
Common cations that
bond with siIica anions
Oxides O
2-
Carbonates (CO
3
)
2-
Sulfides S
2-
Sulfates (SO
4
)
2-
Halides Cl
-
, F
-
, Br
-
Native elements (single elements; e.g., Au)
MineraI Groups
SiIicates (most abundant)
Non-siIicates (~8% of Earth's crust):