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CHAPTER I
EARTH MATERIALS

Week 1
Minerals and Its Properties

Learning Outcomes

1. Differentiate mineral and rock.

2. Describe the properties that are used in mineral identification.

Introduction

Earth’s surface is composed of many kinds of materials like black lava flows and
gray granite hills. Such landscapes are composed of rocks, sediment, and soil, which are
all largely composed of minerals. Most people are familiar with the common uses of many
basic minerals, including copper in electrical wiring, and gold and silver in rings and
necklaces. These minerals have economic uses. Also, minerals play important roles in
forming rocks and in shaping Earth’s surface

Minerals are any naturally occurring

inorganic solid that possesses an orderly
crystalline structure and a definite
chemical composition that allows for some
variation.

Earth materials that are classified as

minerals exhibit the following
characteristics:

1. Naturally occurring. Minerals

form through natural geologic
processes. Natural diamonds are Figure 1. Examples of a mineral

minerals, but synthetic diamonds

grown in the lab are not.

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Earth and Space Science I
1st Semester, SY 2020-2021
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2. Generally inorganic. Inorganic crystalline solids, such as ordinary table salt

(halite) that is found naturally in the ground are considered minerals.
3. Solid substance. Only solid crystalline substances are considered minerals. All
minerals are solid, not liquid, or gaseous. Ice, a solid, is a mineral, but liquid water
is not, even though it has the same composition.
4. Orderly crystalline structure. Minerals are crystalline substances, which means
their atoms (ions) are arranged in an orderly, repetitive manner. The shape of a
crystal depends on how the atoms in it are arranged.
5. Definite chemical composition that allows for some variation. Minerals are
chemical compounds having compositions that can be expressed by a chemical
formula.

On the other hand, rock is any solid

mass of mineral, or mineral-like, a matter
that occurs naturally as part of the Earth.
Most rocks occur as aggregates of several
different minerals (individual properties
are retained). The term aggregate implies
that the minerals are joined in such a way
that their individual properties are
retained. Still, some rocks are composed
Figure 2. Most rocks are aggregates of minerals.
almost entirely of one mineral. Other rocks
are composed of nonmineral matter like solid organic debris. The properties of rocks are
determined largely by the chemical composition and crystalline structure of the minerals
contained within them.

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Earth and Space Science I
1st Semester, SY 2020-2021
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Properties of a Mineral

 Luster. A mineral’s luster is a description of

how the surface reflects light. Minerals that
have the appearance of metals, regardless of
color, are said to have a metallic luster. Most
minerals have a nonmetallic luster such as
vitreous or glassy. Other is described as having
a dull, or earthy, luster, or pearly luster. Still,
Figure 3. Different luster of a mineral
others exhibit a silky luster or a greasy luster.
 Ability to Transmit Light. Minerals can transmit light. When no light is
transmitted, the mineral is described as opaque. When only light is transmitted
through a mineral sample, the mineral is said to be translucent. When both light
and an image are visible, the mineral is described as transparent.
 Color. It is a result of how light is absorbed or reflected by an object. Color is easy
to observe but it is generally not a reliable clue for identifying a mineral sample
because the weathered surface may hide the color of the mineral. It can be changed
in many ways but does not affect the crystal structure or composition. Many
minerals are similar in color.
 Streak. The color of a mineral in
powdered form. A mineral’s streak is
obtained by rubbing the mineral across a
streak plate (a piece of unglazed
porcelain) and observing the color of the
mark it leaves. The streak test works only
Figure 4. Using streak to help identify a mineral.
for minerals that are softer than the
streak plate.
 Hardness. A measure of the resistance of a mineral to abrasion or scratching. To
test for hardness of a mineral, Some minerals are very hard, and some are quite
soft. A mineral can be scratched by a material that is harder than the mineral but
not by one that is softer. To estimate mineral hardness, we often conduct scratch

SciEd 111
Earth and Space Science I
1st Semester, SY 2020-2021
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tests using common objects, such as a fingernail, penny, or knife blade. We may
also use other minerals of known hardness for comparison.

Table 1. Mohs Hardness Scale

 Cleavage. The tendency of a mineral

to break (cleave) along planes of
weak bonding. These cleavage
planes produce flat surfaces and
angled geometry that are useful for
identifying the mineral. The bonds Figure 5.Calcite is a mineral that cleaves in three directions.
Quartz tends to have a conchoidal fracture
between atoms along the cleavage
surfaces are weaker than other atomic bonds in the minerals.
 Fracture. Minerals that have chemical bonds that are equally, or nearly equally,
strong in all directions exhibit a property called a fracture. When minerals
fracture, most produce uneven surfaces and are described as exhibiting irregular
fracture.
 Tenacity. The term tenacity describes a mineral’s resistance to breaking, bending,
cutting, or other forms of deformation. For example, metallic minerals can be
hammered and shaped without breaking into pieces, so they are called malleable.
Some minerals like mica are elastic: They bend and then bounce back to their
original form. Many minerals (including pyrite, hornblende, and olivine) are
brittle, which means they break fairly easily into smaller pieces.
 Crystal shape or habit. It is the common or characteristic shape of individual
crystals or aggregates of crystals. The shape of the crystal reflects the arrangement
of atoms within the mineral and therefore provides a clue about the mineral’s
SciEd 111
Earth and Space Science I
1st Semester, SY 2020-2021
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identity. Some minerals

tend to grow equally in all
three dimensions, tend to
be elongated in one
direction, or flattened if
growth in one dimension
is suppressed. Commonly
used terms to describe
various crystal habits Figure 6. Sample crystal shape

include bladed (flat, elongated strips), fibrous (hair-like), tabular (tablet shaped),
granular (aggregates of small crystals), blocky (square), and banded (layered).
 Density. Some minerals are denser than others. This property can often be
detected by simply holding a mineral and noting how heavy it feels. We call this
approach a heft test. In the lab, scientists precisely determine the ratio of the
density of a substance to the density of fresh water, a property called specific
gravity.
 Magnetism. A few iron-bearing minerals are naturally magnetic. The mineral
magnetite is the strongest natural magnet. It is attracted to other magnets, and its
magnetism can be strong enough to deflect a compass needle. Other magnetic
minerals are less magnetic than magnetite, but magnetism may still help us
identify them.

Several of the minerals are mined to support our modern society. The table below
provides a list of some economic minerals and their industrial and commercial uses.

Table 2. Economic Minerals

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Earth and Space Science I
1st Semester, SY 2020-2021
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WORKSHEET I

I. Compare and contrast mineral and rock.

MINERAL ROCK

II. Use the geologic definition of a mineral to determine which of the items listed minerals
are and which are not. Check the appropriate box and explain each choice.

Substance YES NO Explanation

1. Rain Water

2. Quartz

3. Coal

4. Gold

5. Halite

6. Wood

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Earth and Space Science I
1st Semester, SY 2020-2021
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III. Explain the difference between the terms in each of the following sets.

1. cleavage - fracture

2. density - magnetism

3. luster - streak

4. hardness - tenacity

5. color - luster

IV. Select one of the following terms to

describe the crystal shape, or habit, of
each specimen shown in the figure at the
right: cubic crystals, hexagonal crystals,
fibrous habit, banded habit, blocky habit,
bladed habit, tabular habit.

1. Specimen A: ___________________

2. Specimen B: ___________________

3. Specimen C: ___________________

4. Specimen D: ___________________

SciEd 111
Earth and Space Science I
1st Semester, SY 2020-2021
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V. Identify the minerals/mineral products to construct different parts of your classroom.

List the properties of the minerals/mineral products that were useful in constructing the
classroom.

1. Electric Wiring: 2. Ceiling:

3. Board:

4. Chair: 5. Table:

SciEd 111
Earth and Space Science I
1st Semester, SY 2020-2021