Rocks and Minerals

Unit 2 Minerals
 Why are minerals important?
Give us insight to Earth’s history and
development

Essential to Industry- Copper, iron, aluminum

Seen in our daily lives- Mica in toothpaste, talc in

makeup, hematite in steel, TV needs silica, iron,
copper
What is a mineral?
A mineral is: naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, that has a definite chemical
composition, and a crystal structure.

1. Naturally occurring:
a. Minerals- quartz, pyrite
b. Not minerals- cement, steel
Minerals
2. Inorganic: NOT formed from living things or the
remains of living things.

a. Coal is NOT a mineral because it comes from Plants.

b. Amber is NOT a mineral because it comes from Sap.
c. Pearls are NOT a mineral because it comes from
Oysters.
Definite Chemical Composition- Pg 16 ESRT
Halite NaCl Sodium Chloride 1 Sodium/ 1
Chlorine

Quartz SiO2 Silicone Dioxide 1 Silicon/ 2 Oxygen

Pyrite FeS2 Iron Sulfide 1 Iron/ 2 Sulfur

Hematite Fe2O3 Iron Oxide 2 Iron/ 3 Oxygen

Magnetite Fe3O4 Iron Oxide 3 Iron/ 4 Oxygen

Definite Chemical Composition- Pg 16 ESRT

Calcite CaCO3 Calcium Carbonate 1 Calcium/ 1 carbon/

3 oxygen

Graphite C Carbon 1 carbon

Diamond C Carbon 1 carbon

Sulfur S Sulfur 1 sulfur

Minerals
4. Solids- have a definite SIZE/VOLUME and a definite SHAPE.

Oil is not a mineral because it is a liquid.

5. Crystal Structure: Atoms arranged in repeating patterns, characteristic

geometry of its internal structure of atoms.
The following minerals are both made of
pure Carbon, why do they look different?

Graphite Diamond

Because the atoms are

arranged differently.
Formation of Minerals
1. From cooling of lava/magma
Formation of Minerals
2. When water evaporates, dissolved minerals remain behind.

Ex: When a solution (water) is saturated with minerals, minerals will settle out of
the solution. “PRECIPITATES.”
Dead Sea
Identifying Minerals
Identifying minerals- minerals can be identified by their physical and chemical
properties.

1. Color:
a. Some minerals have only one color:
(1) Malachite- green
(2) Sulfur- yellow

B. Other minerals have many colors:

(1) Quartz- clear, pink, purple, white, brown

(2) Hematite- black, grey, reddish brown, dark red
Color can vary as a result of:
(1) Natural coloring agents: Impurities

(2) Weathering: Exposure to the environment. Ex: air,

temperature changes, pollution

-Small amounts of different elements can give the same

mineral different colors. Thus, color is not reliable.
Streak
Streak- the color of the powder when a mineral is rubbed on a streak plate.

a. Hematite

Streak: Reddish Brown

b. Quartz

Streak: white/colorless
Luster
Luster- the way a mineral shines or reflects light from its surface

a) Metallic- shines/reflects light like the surface of a polished metal.

Examples: galena, pyrite, graphite, magnetite

b) Nonmetallic

(1) Pearly- mica

(2) Glassy- quartz, halite
(3) Dull, earthy- bauxite
(4) Waxy- talc
(5) Brilliant- diamond
Hardness
4. Hardness- a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched.

a. Softest mineral- TALC

b. Hardest mineral- DIAMOND

2.5 Fingernail

3.5 Copper

4.5 Iron Nail

5.5 Glass

6.5 Steel File

7 Streak Plate
Hardness
Now try to answer the questions on page 5 of your note
packet.

E. What determines hardness?

Minerals internal structure- the strength of the bonds

between the atoms.
Cleavage
a. Cleavage- when a mineral splits along smooth flat surfaces

Examples of cleavage:

The mineral mica cleaves in ONE direction.

The mineral galena cleaves in THREE directions.

Cleavage
What determines cleavage?

Internal structure of mineral- types of bonds between atoms.

Cleavage should not be confused with crystal shape. Cleavage is a property of the
way a mineral BREAKS, while crystal shape is a property of the way a mineral
GROWS. When minerals have plenty of space to grow, they form CRYSTALS.
Fracture
Fracture- when a mineral breaks unevenly into curved or irregular pieces
with rough and ridged surfaces.

Examples of Minerals that show fracture:

Sulfur, bauxite, hematite, quartz

Density or Heft
A piece of gold has 8 times as much mass as a piece of halite that is the same
size.
Chemical/Special Properties
CALCITE reacts with hydrochloric acid. It forms bubbles of carbon dioxide gas.

Lodestone, a form of the mineral MAGNETITE, is naturally MAGNETIC.

Special Properties
Iceland spar, a form of the mineral CALCITE, produces DOUBLE REFRACTION.

PITCHBLENDE is an example of a mineral that is RADIOACTIVE.

Uses of Minerals
Ore- a mineral that contains METALS AND NONMETALS THAT CAN BE MINED
AND REMOVED IN USABLE AMOUNTS FOR A PROFIT.

Metals- elements that have shiny surfaces and are able to conduct HEAT and
ELECTRICITY.
Uses of Minerals
1. Iron Hematite

2. Aluminum Bauxite

3. Copper Chalcopyrite

4. Lead Galena

5. Silver Argenite

6. Gold Gold

7. Mercury Cinnabar
Alloy- a mixture of two or more metals or a mixture of metals and nonmetals

1. Tin + copper = bronze

2. Copper + zinc = brass
3. Iron + chromium + limestone = steel
4. Lead + tin = pewter
Nonmetals
Nonmetals- elements that have dull surfaces and are poor conductors of HEAT
and ELECTRICITY.

a. Halite- table salt

b. Gypsum-wallboard
c. Sulfur-matches
d. Talc-powder
e. Graphite- pencil “lead”
f. Kaolinite-Bricks
g. Calcite-Cement
Gems and Precious Stones
Gems- minerals that have the following desirable qualities.

Hardness, color, luster, clarity, durability, rarity.

1. Precious stones- diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds

2. Semiprecious stones- amethyst, garnet, topaz
3. Gems that are NOT minerals- pearls, amber
Rocks!

How are rocks related to minerals?

Why study rocks??
They can tell us about the history of the Earth-Plants and
animal fossils to tell us past living conditions.

We can read these rocks to discover past climates.

Predict where to search for oil and gas resources.

Geology- the branch of science that studies rocks.
Rocks are CLASSIFIED on the basis of their FORMATION/ORIGIN.

The three groups of rocks are:

1. SEDIMENTARY
2. IGNEOUS
3. METAMORPHIC
Rocks in relation to minerals
Many kinds of rocks are composed of MINERALS.

B. Some rocks are MONOMINERALIC - composed of ONLY ONE MINERAL.

C. Most rocks are POLYMINERALIC- composed of TWO OR MORE MINERALS.

Common rock-forming minerals
There are almost 3000 types of minerals, but only 8 of these minerals make up
90% of the rocks of Earth’s crust.
1. Quartz 12%

2. Potassium Feldspar 12%

3. Plagioclase Feldspar 38%

4. Pyroxene 11%

5. Hornblende/Amphibole 5%

6. Biotite Mica 5%

7. Clays 4.6%

8. Olivine 3%

9. Other 8.4%
Sedimentary Rocks
Rocks that usually form in layers from accumulation of
sediments, organic matter, or chemical precipitates.
Sedimentary Rocks
Types of Sedimentary Rocks
Clastic- form from rock particles/sediments that are pressed and cemented
together.

Compaction- pressed by weight of overlying rocks

Cementation- glued by natural cement in water (Calcite)

ESRT-Page 7 Clastic Sedimentary Rocks

Rock Name Grain Size (cm) Comment Map Symbol

Conglomerate Boulders 25.6 Various size rock

Cobbles 6.4 Particles and mud
Pebbles .2 Silt and Sand
Cemented together

Sandstone Sand .006 Fine to coarse

grains cemented
together

Siltstone Silt .0004 Very fine grained

Shale Clay Compact, may split

easily
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks
Chemical- form from dissolved minerals in water that settle-out/precipitate.
Dissolved minerals left behind when water evaporates.
Chemical Sedimentary Rocks-Pg. 7 ESRT

Rock Name Composition Comment Map Symbol

Limestone

Rock Salt

Rock Gypsum

Dolostone
Bioclastic Sedimentary Rocks
3. Bioclastic- formed from the accumulation of
plant/animal matter that undergoes a transformation into
rock.

Rock Name Composition/Comment

Limestone Cemented shell fragments

Coal Carbon from plant remains

Formation of Coal-Bioclastic Sedimentary Rock
Formation of Coal
PEAT- accumulated plant material

LIGNITE known as BROWN COAL

BITUMINOUS known as SOFT COAL

ANTHRACITE known as SOFT COAL

Important Characteristics of Sedimentary Rocks
1. They are composed of rock fragments or organic particles.
a. Some have a range of particle or sediment size.

CONGLOMERATE

B. others consist mainly of one size of sediments- due to sorting during deposition

SANDSTONE
Characteristics of Sedimentary rocks
2. Some are organic-they form from plant and animal remains.

FOSSIL LIMESTONE

3. FORM IN LAYERS CALLED STRATA OR BEDS.

SHALE
Igneous Rocks Formation
A. Forms from the cooling and solidification/ crystallization of molten lava
and magma.

1. When molten lava or magma COOLS and SOLIDIFIES, crystals of different

minerals form the rock.

The rock contains a crystalline structure of ingrown crystals of different SIZES,

SHAPES, and COMPOSITION.
Types of Igneous Rocks
1. Extrusive/Volcanic: forms from the fast cooling of lava on or near
Earth’s surface. Fast cooling does NOT allow time for crystals to grow.

Rocks have small or no crystals and thus a smooth/fine texture.

Types of Igneous Rocks
Intrusive/Plutonic: forms from slow cooling of magma within the Earth. Slow
cooling allows time for large crystals to grow.

Rocks have large crystals, thus a coarse/rough texture.

Label the top diagram on page 17 with the following
Lava

Magma

Extrusive

Intrusive
 Extrusive (Volcanic) Intrusive
(Plutonic)

Rate of Cooling Very Fast Fast Slow

Grain Size non-crystalline Less than 1mm 1mm or larger

Texture glassy fine coarse

Examples obsidian basalt/rhyolite granite

Igneous Rocks
Relationship between CRYSTAL SIZE and RATE OF COOLING.

a. As the rate of cooling increases, the crystal size decreases.

Metamorphic Rocks
Form from other pre-existing rock (sed, meta, ign) that
have been changed.
Conditions that cause rocks to undergo metamorphism

1. Heat
2. Pressure
3. Chemical Activity
Metamorphic Rocks
Under conditions of high temperature and high pressure, many metamorphic rocks
form by the process of RECRYSTALLIZATION. This is the growth of new mineral
crystals from the crystals of an IGNEOUS or METAMORPHIC rock.
Recrystallization occurs without true melting.
Metamorphic Rocks
D. Changes in rock caused by metamorphism.

1. Increased density
2. Chemical change/new minerals
3. Banding
4. Distorted Structure
Types of Metamorphism
1. Foliated- has mineral crystals arranged in parallel layers of “bands.”

2. Unfoliated- does NOT have mineral crystals in bands. Does not break in
layers/sheets.
Contact Metamorphism
What will limestone and shale “change” into??
Review of the Rock Cycle
What should I study??
Make sure you know how to read/interpret pages 1, 6, 7,
and 16 in ESRT

Go over your note packets.

Go over your practice Regents review questions.

Look over your study guide and quizzes.