What is a mineral?

Mineral Characteristics Crystals How crystals form Crystals from magma Crystals from solution Silicates Properties of Minerals

Naturally occurring (solid) Inorganic (non-living) Definite chemical composition Orderly arranged atoms Over 4,000 exist and they all share these 4 characteristics

Quartz is the 2nd most abundant mineral in earths crust and it is composed of oxygen and silicon = SiO2

Formed from natural processes. Salt (halite) forms from the evaporation of seawater Minerals are inorganic they are not made from living processes. Every mineral is an element or compound with a definite chemical composition Minerals are crystalline solids (crystals)

A solid with atoms that are arranged in orderly, repeating patterns

Crystals form from magma Crystals form from solutions of salts

As magma cools its atoms lose heat energy and move closer together. As this cooling process takes place atoms arrange themselves into orderly repeating patterns. The rate of cooling determines the size of the crystals. Slow cooling large crystals Faster cooling = harder to see with the naked eye

Crystals form from minerals that are dissolved in water When the water evaporates, in a dry climate, the minerals left behind form into cyrstals. Crystals can also form without evaporation if there are too many of them in water.

Minerals that contain silicon and oxygen are the two most abundant elements in earths crust.

Si O

Hardness Mohs scale 1-10 Scratch with a fingernail, copper wirer, iron nail, scratches glass Cleavage/Fracture how does the mineral break and what shape are the breaks? Smooth or jagged? Color color of the mineral Specific Gravity- density in water Streak- color left on the streak plate Luster- How a mineral reflects light Crystal Shape- large or small grains Other Properties- Magnetic, reacts with acid, salty taste