EARTH MATERIALS

MINERALS
What are minerals?
 Minerals are described as naturally occurring,
inorganic solid with orderly crystalline structure
and a definite chemical composition. These are
the basic building blocks of rocks
 Naturally occurring
Solid substance
Orderly crystalline structure
Definite chemical composition
Generally considered inorganic
 Mica

Quartz

Feldspa
r
Examples of minerals
 PHYSICAL AND
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
OF MINERALS
 PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

1. Color
it is the result of
the way minerals
absorb light.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

2. Streak
it is the color of
the mineral in
powdered form
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

3. Luster
refers to the reaction
of mineral to light. It
determines how brilliant
or dull the mineral is.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

4. Transparency
indicates the
extent of light that
can pass through
the mineral
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS
Transparency
• A mineral is • A mineral is • A mineral is
transparent if it opaque if light translucent if
allows light to cannot pass it allows
pass through through and some light to
and you can you cannot see pass through
see object objects. And object
through it. cannot be
seen clearly.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

5. Crystal Structure
describes the
orderly geometric
spatial arrangement
of atoms in the
internal structure of a
mineral
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

6. Crystal Habit
describes the over-all shape of the
mineral
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

7. Hardness
is the measure of the resistance of a
surface to abrasions or scratches.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

8. Specific Gravity
is the ratio of the weight of the mineral to the
weight of the water with an equal volume.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS
Specific gravity of some minerals
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

9. Tenacity
Tenacity refers to the behavior of the
mineral under deformation or stress such as
cutting, crushing, bending, or hitting.

It can be brittle, malleable, elastic, ductile,

etc.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

10. Cleavage
is the tendency of the mineral to be split
or broken along flat surfaces.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

11. Fracture
is the tendency of
the mineral to be split
or broken along flat
surfaces.
 CHEMICAL
PROPERTIES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

1. Solubility
refers the ability of a substance to
dissolve in a solvent at a specified
temperature.
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

2. Melting Point
refers to 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
COMMON ROCK-FORMING MINERALS

Quartz
It is a glassy-looking hard
substance with white streaks.
Despite its hardness, with a Mohs
hardness of 7, it is quite brittle. 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

Feldspar
It is quite hard with a Mohs
hardness of 6. 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

Mica
is 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. 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

Pyroxene
Augite is the most common of
this group. It has a glassy
luster with streaks of white,
light green, or light brown. 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

Amphibole
Amphibole has a dark color
with a Mohs hardness ranging
from 5 to 6. Hornblende is the
most common amphibole. It
has a glassy luster and an
opaque characteristic. Its
crystals are very long and
very thin.
COMMON ROCK-FORMING MINERALS

Olivine
It is known for its distinct olive-
green color and commonly
used in the gemstone industry
as peridot. It is a glassy
looking and transparent
substance that is almost as
hard as quartz. Its crystals
have a granular shape.
MINERALS
➤ A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid material that has a
fixed structure and a definite chemical composition.
➤ Minerals can be distinguished based on physical and chemical
properties.
➤ Useful physical properties to identify a mineral include color, streak,
luster, specific gravity, hardness, cleavage, fracture, tenacity,
transparency, crystal structure, and crystal habit.
➤ The chemical properties of minerals depend on their chemical formula
and crystal structure. Solubility and melting point are chemical
properties commonly used to describe a mineral.
➤ The most common rock-forming minerals are quartz, feldspar, mica,
pyroxene, amphibole, and olivine.
ROCKS
What are rocks?
 Rocks are natural substances consisting of
aggregate minerals clumped together with
other Earth materials through natural processes.
THREE TYPES OF ROCKS
TYPES OF ROCKS

Igneous
Intrusive or Extrusive
Sedimentary
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Metamorphic
Foliated and Non-Foliated
TYPES OF ROCKS

Igneous Rocks
These type of rocks are formed from the
cooling of magma or lava.

It can be classified either intrusive or

extrusive.
TYPES OF ROCKS

Igneous Rocks
Intrusive Igneous Rocks
Intrusive rocks, or plutonic rocks, are
igneous rocks formed underneath the
earth. They are coarse-grained due to the
slow cooling of magma allowing crystal
growth.
TYPES OF ROCKS

Igneous Rocks
Extrusive Igneous Rocks
Extrusive rocks, or volcanic rocks, are igneous
rocks formed on the surface of the earth. They are
cooled lava, which are molten rocks ejected on
the surface through volcanic eruptions. They are
fine-grained due to abrupt cooling on the
surface.
TYPES OF ROCKS

Granite Pumice Basalt

TYPES OF ROCKS

Sedimentary Rocks
These type of rocks are formed from the
compaction and cementation of sediments
(e.g. sand, pebbles, shells, etc.)

It can be classified either clastic or non-

clastic
TYPES OF ROCKS

Sedimentary Rocks
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
Clastic rocks are made up of sediments
from preexisting rocks. When preexisting
rocks are physically weathered and
eroded, they form sediments.
TYPES OF ROCKS
Sedimentary Rocks
Non-Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
Non-clastic rocks can be biological, chemical, or a
combination of both. Biological sedimentary rocks are
lithified accumulation of dead organisms. Examples
include coal and limestone. On the other hand,
chemical sedimentary rocks are from chemical
precipitation. An example is rock salt formed when
dissolved salts precipitate from a solution.
TYPES OF ROCKS

Conglomerate Breccia Halite

TYPES OF ROCKS

Metamorphic Rocks
These type of rocks are formed from pre-
existing rocks under heat and pressure.

It can be classified either foliated or non-

foliated.
TYPES OF ROCKS

Metamorphic Rocks
Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
Foliated rocks have layered or banded
appearance produced by exposure to
high temperatures and pressures.
TYPES OF ROCKS

Metamorphic Rocks
Non-Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
In contrast to foliated rocks, non-foliated
metamorphic rocks do not have layered
appearance.
TYPES OF ROCKS

Marble Gneiss Schist

ROCK CYCLE