Rocks and Minerals

JohnAldrichG. Cortez,RN
Rocks and Minerals

•Earth’s materials include rocks and

minerals. They exhibit characteristics
features and have economic value. Earth’s
rock undergo transformation.
Rocks and Minerals

•Mineral – a naturally occurring, inorganic,

solid material that has a fixed structure and
a definite chemical composition.
•Mineralogy – the study of minerals and
their properties.
Rocks and Minerals
•There are several laboratory and field
techniques used to distinguish minerals
based on physical and chemical properties.
•Some minerals can be identified with the use
of high-powered instruments while some
can be assessed through their physical
properties.
Rocks and Minerals
• Rocks – consist of
aggregates of minerals.
• Minerals – the building
blocks of rocks. They are
made up of one or a
number of chemical
elements with a definite /
orderly chemical
composition and crystal
structure.
Physical Properties of Minerals
1. Color
• Depends on the elements which constitute
the crystal lattice – the arrangement of
atoms, or groups of atoms, in a specific
pattern and with high symmetry.
• The reflection of certain wavelengths of light
by the crystal lattice results in the color
perceived by the observer.
Physical Properties of Minerals

2. Streak
•the color of the mineral in its powdered
form.
Physical Properties of Minerals

•Mineral gems come

in different colors
and streak.
Physical Properties of Minerals
3. Luster
•The relative differences in the opacity
and transparency of a mineral as light is
reflected on its surface.
•This describes the 'sparkles' of the
mineral surfaces.
Physical Properties of Minerals

•Minerals maybe
opaque, translucent
or transparent.
Physical Properties of Minerals

4. Specific Gravity
•The ratio of the weight of the mineral to
the weight of the water with an equal
volume.
•It can be determined by using a balance.
Physical Properties of Minerals
Mineral Specific Gravity
Copper 8.9
Silver 10.5
Lead 11.3
Gold 19
Physical Properties of Minerals
5. Hardness
•The measure of the resistance of a
surface to abrasions or scratches.
•Dependent on the chemical composition
and the crystalline structure of a
mineral.
Physical Properties of Minerals
Physical Properties of Minerals
Scale Description • Field Hardness
1 Can be rubbed off on a finger
2 Can be scratched with a fingernail
Guide
3 Can be scratched with a coin
4 Can be scratched with difficulty with a
knife
5 Can be scratched with a knife blade
6 Can be scratched with a piece of glass
7 Can be scratched with a piece of quartz
8 – 10 Mineral is too hard to be included in this
scale
Physical Properties of Minerals
6. Cleavage
• The tendency of the mineral to be split or broken
along flat surfaces.
• It is described how a mineral breaks along
weakness plain.
• The quantity of cleavage can be described in how
clearly or easily the mineral breaks like perfect,
good, distinct, poor or indistinct.
Physical Properties of Minerals
6. Fracture
• the texture or shape of the mineral’s surface when
the mineral breaks into forms other than flat
surfaces.
7. Tenacity
• refers to the behavior of the mineral under
deformation or stress such as cutting, crushing,
bending, or hitting.
Physical Properties of Minerals
8. Crystal Habit
• The growth crystal pattern of a mineral as single
or aggregated.
• Over all shape of a mineral.
• Common shapes include needlelike (acicular),
plantlike (dendritic), kidney – shaped (reniform),
elongated in one direction (prismatic) and broad
and flat (tabular).
Physical Properties of Minerals
Chemical Properties of Minerals
1. Solubility
• The ability of a substance to dissolve in a
solvent at a specified temperature.
• For example, biotite, a mineral commonly
found in igneous rocks, is soluble in both
acid and base solutions. The dissolution
releases the loosely-bound potassium ions in
the mineral.
Chemical Properties of Minerals
2. Melting Point
• The temperature at which solid turns into
liquid.
• Minerals composed of atoms that are tightly
bonded within the crystal structure have
high melting points.
• For example, quartz melts above 1670°C.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
1. Quartz
•A chemical composition of SiO2.
•It is a glassy-looking hard substance
with white streaks.
•Despite its hardness, with a Mohs
hardness of 7, it is quite brittle.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
• Pure quartz is clear
and transparent.
Colored varieties of
quartz are due to
elemental impurities
built into its lattice.
• The grains of quartz, in
general, are irregular
in shape.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
2. Feldspar
•Has a chemical composition of
XAl(1−2)Si(3−2)O8, where X is K, Ca, or
Na.
•It is quite hard with a Mohs hardness of
6.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
• It is a light-colored
material, usually white,
but they can have lighter
shades of red or green.
• It has a glassy luster. In
rocks, feldspar forms
rectangular crystals that
break along flat faces.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
3. Mica
•Any group of hydrous potassium
aluminum silicate minerals.
•The most common examples are clear
muscovite and black biotite.
•Mica is soft, with Mohs hardness
ranging from 2 to 2.5.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
• It is easily identified by
its perfect cleavage,
reducing it to thin
smooth flakes.
• Its shine is responsible
for the flashes of light in
rocks such as granite and
slate.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
4. Pyroxene
•Have a general composition of
XY(Al,Si)2O6 where X is Ca or Mg and Y
is either Mg,Fe,Al.
•Augite is the most common of this
group. It has a glassy luster with streaks
of white, light green, or light brown.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
• It is generally black
in color and has
stubby prismatic
crystals.
• Its key feature is its
two cleavages at
around 90°.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
5. Amphibole
•Has a dark color with a Mohs
hardness ranging from 5 to 6.
•Hornblende is the most common
amphibole.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
• It has a glassy
luster and an
opaque
characteristic. Its
crystals are very
long and very thin.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
6. Olivine
•A silicate mineral with a general
chemical composition of (Mg,Fe)2 SiO4,
but calcium, manganese, and nickel can
be substituted for magnesium and iron.
•It is known for its distinct olive-green
color and commonly used in the
gemstone industry as peridot.
Common Rock – Forming Minerals
• It is a glassy looking
and transparent
substance that is
almost as hard as
quartz.
• Its crystals have a
granular shape.
 “I believe that even though you made this
mistake, you will be okay. I believe we survive. I
believe that believing we survive is what makes us
survive.”
-Dr. Izzie Stevens