Geol 11 Week 4 Minerals Annotated Lecture Slides

Slide 1
GEOL 11 LEARNINGMATERIALS
GEOL 11 LEARNINGMATERIALS (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021) LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Week 4
At the end of the lecture, the student
Minerals should be able to :
● Define what a mineral is

● Enumerate the properties
useful in mineral identification
● Identify the common rock-
forming minerals and the index
minerals of the Moh’s hardness
scale
● Recognize the importance of
minerals in everyday life
© imaggeo.egu.eu
Slide 2
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Topic Outline
I. Define the five characteristics of a
mineral (NIHDO) VII. Cleavage vs Fracture
II. Physical properties of minerals III. Mineral Groups
I. Color I. Silicates
II. Streak I. Si-O tetrahedro
II. Silicate groups

III. Hardness
IV. Luster II. Non-silicates and their economic

use
V. Diaphaneity
VI. Habit
Slide 3
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
What is a mineral?
Naturally occurring
I norganic
Homogeneous solid
Definite chemical composition
Ordered internal structure
First thing’s first: what is a mineral? This is a classic mnemonic for the definition of minerals.
Slide 4
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Mineral or not?
To better understand the criteria, let’s have a simple activity. In the following slides, guess
if the stated material is a mineral or not.
Slide 5
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Q: Is this a mineral?
Slide 6
1 Naturally occurring
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
-made by natural, geologic processes
synthetic materials
(i.e. artificial diamonds)
Minerals are formed by natural, geologic processes. Therefore, materials that are made in
the laboratory or those produced with human intervention like synthetic diamonds are not
considered minerals.
What are examples of these natural, geologic processes?
A. Crystallization of magma, which forms minerals that will be discussed in depth in the next
chapter (Igneous rocks)
B. Precipitation of hydrothermal fluids (hydrothermal, meaning “hot water.” Simply speaking,
these are fluids found deep in the crust) A lot of minerals commonly occurring with gold are
formed this way!
C. Evaporation of salty water i.e. seawater. Remember this concept in your past chemistry
classes: evaporation causes the remaining solution to get progressively saturated. These in
turn causes ions to precipitate. Salt deposits are formed this way!
Slide 7
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Q: Is sugar, a crystalline solid,

a mineral?
Slide 8
2 Inorganic
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
well, generally ;)
Well yes, sugar occurs naturally, has a definite chemical composition, and is crystalline, but
it is made up of organic molecules (with chemical formula of C6H12O6). Therefore, it is
not considered a mineral.
Slide 9
2 Inorganic
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
well, generally ;)
Halite (table salt) - NaCl
Another kitchen essential instead that is considered a mineral is salt (NaCl). More on this
mineral later!
Slide 10
2 Inorganic
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
well, generally ;)
chert (SiO2) aragonite (CaCO3)
So for this criterion, we’ve put a disclaimer: “generally.” This is because there are materials
that are formed via biological processes that are still considered minerals.
Examples are chert and aragonite. These minerals start out as inorganic secretions of
marine animals. These secretions form the protective shells of marine organisms or coral
reefs. When the organism dies, these minerals accumulate on the seafloor, are buried and
eventually solidify into rocks.
Slide 11
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Q: Is ice a mineral?
Slide 12
3 Homogenous solid
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Yes ice is a mineral
Q: How about:
liquid water
water vapor
Ice lattice
Water is a mineral if in ice form. Ice can assume different crystalline structures (example
is the hexagonal structure shown).
However, water in liquid and vapor forms are not considered minerals since they
obviously don’t satisfy the crystalline solid criterion.
Slide 13
4 Definite chemical composition

(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
-can be represented by a chemical formula
pyrite, FeS2 Sulfur, S Diamond, C
What this means is that most minerals can be expressed by a chemical formula, or in simple
terms, they have a definite identity.
For example, pyrite, which is more colloquially known as “fool’s gold” (because it is often
mistaken for the more economically valuable mineral gold) is a sulfide mineral with chemical
formula of FeS2. Diamond is composed of a single element, C.
Slide 14
5 Ordered internal structure

(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
(crystalline)
Orderly
arrangement of
sodium and
chloride ions in
the mineral
halite.
Minerals are crystalline solids, which means that they have an ordered atomic structure.
The diagram here shows how Na and Cl ions are arranged in the mineral halite. Notice in
B that these ions are arranged in a cubic manner.
This cubic arrangement of Na and Cl forms the building block of the mineral halite.
Basically, these building blocks are just repeated in space to create the mineral’s crystals.
In the case of halite, this building block is repeated 90 degrees up, down and sideways,
forming a cube. D shows the cubic mineral halite in macroscopic scale. Notice that most
of the time (if conditions allow i.e. there is enough space for the crystals to grow), the
macroscopic characteristics of minerals (in this case, the cubic crystals of halite) are just a
manifestation of its atomic arrangement.
Slide 15

(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
(crystalline)
Orderly
arrangement of
sodium and
chloride ions in
the mineral
halite.
OPTIONAL VIDEO 1: How do crystals grow? | Ted Ed

Please see Study Guide for the guide questions
OPTIONAL VIDEO: See study guide for the guide questions

Slide 16
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Q: Is volcanic glass a mineral?
Slide 17

(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
(crystalline)
No, because it is amorphous.
If we look at the checklist, volcanic glass satisfies the following:

 Naturally-occurring (formed via rapid cooling of lava)
 Inorganic (SiO2)
 Homogenous solid
 Definite chemical composition (SiO2)
But it doesn’t have an ordered crystalline structure (amorphous, a- ‘without’
+ morphē ‘form’). But don’t worry! Materials that satisfy the rest of the criteria but are
amorphous are called “mineraloids.”
Slide 18
Mineraloids (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
naturally occurring, inorganic material that is

amorphous
Ex. glass, opal
(a) amorphous (b) crystalline structure
So why are volcanic glass amorphous?

Volcanic glass are formed when lava is extruded onto the surface and cools rapidly.
Because of this, the Si and O ions in the lava don’t have time to arrange themselves in an
orderly manner (see Figure a). Instead, they bond randomly.
(Take note though that not all lava cools into volcanic glass. They may still form crystalline
minerals on the surface, which will be discussed in-depth again in the next chapter!)
At lower depths in the crust, however, where magma is allowed to cool more slowly, ions
have time to bond orderly and may form a crystalline structure such as (b).
Slide 19
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Polymorphism
“many forms”
ability of a specific chemical substance to crystallize in more than one
configuration
diamond, C graphite, C
Now we move to another aspect that minerals may exhibit. Some substances may
crystallize in different forms. The ability to do this is called polymorphism (many forms).
A fine example is the element Carbon. Depending on the pressure and temperature
conditions, carbon may form into either the very hard diamond (high P and T) or graphite
(relatively low P and T), a soft mineral soft enough to be used as a pencil. Appreciate how
different materials form from the same substance if we tweak its environment? Yep, that’s
nature for you.
Take note that: carbon and graphite are two different minerals with the same
chemical composition.
Slide 20
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Minerals vs Rocks
Rocks - are more loosely defined. Any solid
consisting of
(1) aggregate of minerals
(2) pieces of preexisting rocks
(3) mass of mineral-like matter (glass)
Before we proceed, let’s first put a distinction between rocks and minerals.
Rocks are more loosely defined (explained in the next few slides)
Slide 21
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Minerals vs Rocks
Rocks can be made up

of one type of mineral.
Limestone (calcite, CaCO3)
Rocks can be made up of one type of mineral. This rock for example (except for
impurities) is made up entirely of the carbonate mineral calcite.
Slide 22
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Minerals vs Rocks
occur as aggregates of
several different minerals
However, most rocks, like the igneous rock granite shown in the figure occur as
aggregates of several different minerals. The term “aggregate” is used here to emphasize
that the minerals are able to retain their individual properties.
In this example, you can still tell the individual minerals apart:
• The translucent quartz minerals
• The tabular, green hornblende
• The tabular pinkish feldspar
Slide 23
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Minerals vs Rocks
Some rocks may also be composed of
non-mineral matter. (i.e. obsidian)
….and organic debris, like coal.
Unlike the definition of minerals, rocks may be composed of non-mineral matter

Like (a) glass which comprise the rock obsidian and (b) organic matter which makes up
coal.
We have already learned earlier how obsidian is formed. Coal, on the other hand, is
formed when organic matter accumulates and is buried through time. High amounts of
heat and pressure would cause these materials to compact into rocks in time.
Slide 24
2
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Physical properties of minerals
As we have learned earlier, each mineral has a definite chemical composition and crystalline
structure. This, in turn, gives the mineral a set of unique physical and chemical properties
shared by all hand samples of that mineral.
Since it is hard to do chemical analysis in the field, what we usually use as a first step in
identifying minerals is their physical properties. In identifying mineral hand samples, geology
students usually find themselves asking: What is the mineral’s color? Streak? Hardness? Is
it magnetic? How does it break apart? (awtsu)
Slide 25
Color GEOL 11 LEARNINGMATERIALS

(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
caused by the absorption, reflection, transmission, refraction,

scattering, and dispersion of light
Slide 26

(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Idiochromatic minerals
-minerals that always occur in shades of one particular color
-diagnostic property!
Azure Blue Bright Green Bright Yellow/ Lemon Yellow
Azurite Malachite Sulfur
From idio- one’s own, chroma- color

What this means is that the mineral azurite, as an idiochromatic mineral, will always occur as
an azure blue mineral (and so on)…
Slide 27

(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Varieties of quartz
Allochromatic minerals
minerals with a range of
colors due to chemical
substitution and impurities
On the other hand, we also have allochromatic minerals. (allo -other)
These are minerals that occur in a range of colors. The minerals shown in this slide are all
quartz!
The varieties in color for the same mineral is mostly caused by certain chemical impurities.
Recall that since these are all the same mineral, all of these quartz samples should have the
same atomic arrangement (silicon dioxide SiO2, where Si and O ions bond in a framework
structure. You will see the structure later in the discussion of silicates).
In turn, the different colors are produced because certain ions “squeeze themselves” in
vacant spaces of the SiO2 structure (or in tagalog, sumisingit).
For example, citrine (yellow quartz) above is caused by the presence of trace amounts of
iron impurities.
Slide 28
Streak GEOL 11 LEARNINGMATERIALS

(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
• Color of a substance in its powdered form

• Mineral’s true color, since the streak of a mineral is constant
• More diagnostic property than color
hematite sulfur
(reddish brown) (white)
metallic minerals non-metallic minerals
Streak is the color of a mineral in powdered form. Take note that the streak of a mineral is
not necessarily the same as the mineral’s “color” color!
How to get the streak of a mineral: (a) scratch it against a harder object or (b) crush it to
powderize it (in both cases you really are just taking its powdered form)
Streak is a more reliable property in identifying minerals since it is usually consistent, unlike
a mineral’s color. What we mean by this is shown in the hematite example above. The
mineral hematite may occur, among others, as red (left) or its black metallic (right) variety.
But both varieties will always have the same streak. Hematite’s streak is always reddish
brown.
Slide 29
Luster (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
-ability of minerals to reflect light
[1] metallic [2] non-metallic
Luster describes the ability of minerals to reflect light. Very generally, we have minerals with
(a) metallic and (b) non-metallic luster
Minerals that have the appearance of metals have a metallic luster.
Slide 30
Luster (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
diamond azurite sphalerite

(adamantine) (vitreous) (resinous)
gypsum var. satin

spar(satiny/silky)
These are examples of minerals with non-metallic luster

Just some mnemonic for some of the luster shown here:
• Vitreous – like glass (bote ng beer)
• Resinous – like candy
The rest is already understood from their names
Slide 31
Diaphaneity (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
• Degree of transparency or opacity

• Describes the amount of light being transmitted
transparent translucent opaque
Opaque- no light transmitted

Translucent – light but not image is transmitted
Transparent – both light and image are visible through the sample
Slide 32
Habit (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
• shapes and aggregates that a certain mineral is likely to form

Habit refers to the characteristic shape of (a) an individual crystal or (b) aggregate of
crystals.
Slide 33
A single mineral can have different habits. (i.e. in hematite)
massive botryoidal specular
Take note that a single mineral can have different habits. Here we have hematite having
massive, botryoidal and specular habit.
• Massive is used to refer to aggregates of very fine minerals (not visible to naked eye). So
they appear “plain” or in some cases, grainy.
• Botryoidal when it is grape-like.
• Specular when it is an aggregate of silvery, metallic flakes (kumikinang). The last
example has a special name: specularite
Slide 34
Some habits are distinct in certain minerals.

saccharoidal in olivine botryoidal in hematite
cubic galena platy muscovite
Some habits are distinct to some minerals so that they may serve as “clues,” in conjunction
with other properties, to the identity of the mineral.
● If you see a mineral with saccharoidal (sugary appearance) habit and is olive green, then
you can say that most likely it is olivine. (but don’t be too sure yet if you’ve only checked it
in hand sample).
● Botryoidal is also distinct to hematite.
● Galena, on the other hand, aside from being particularly heavy, also has a distinct cubic
habit.
● Muscovite minerals are also characteristically platy, where you can just flake off a single
“plate” from the rest of the aggregate. More on muscovite later in the discussion of the
property cleavage.
Slide 35
Hardness
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Resistance of mineral to abrasion or scratching
Ten
Moh’s scale of hardness
Good
1. Talc
2. Gypsum Cats
3. Calcite Fly
4. Fluorite Around
5. Apatite
Our
6. Orthoclase
7. Quartz Queen
8. Topaz To
9. Corundum Catch
10. Diamond
Dogs
35
Hardness is one of the most useful diagnostic properties of minerals. It is the measure of
a mineral’s resistance to abrasion or scratching and is a function of the type and strength
of the chemical bonds present in a mineral.
How do we measure the hardness of mineral?

We do it via scratch test, where we scratch a mineral with unknown hardness to a mineral
with known hardness. Whoever gets scratched is the softer mineral.
In geology, we use the Mohs scale of hardness to assign relative hardness values to
minerals. The scale is composed of 10 minerals arranged in order from 1 (softest) to 10
(hardest). Take note that this is a relative scale! Just because Gypsum is no.2 does not
mean that it is twice as hard as talc. To have a general feel of the hardness of each
mineral, refer to the bottom graph in this slide. Diamond is a very hard mineral because its
carbon atoms are bonded in a rigid network via covalent bonds (see slide 19,
polymorphism). Recall in your highschool chemistry that covalent bonds are strong type of
bonds.
Additional information:
Talc, the softest mineral in the scale, is actually a common ingredient in cosmetic
products.
Diamond drill bits are also used to drill the crust or even through your teeth bone for
dental implants.
At the right side, we also have a mnemonic for you. Ten Good Cats Fly Around Our
Queen To Catch Dogs. You may make your own 
Slide 36
Cleavage
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Principle: some atomic bonds

within a mineral are weaker than
the others
-tendency to break along their

weak planes
In the crystal structure of many minerals, not all bonds are the same. Some bonds are
weaker than the others. Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break (cleave) along
these planes of weak bonding. In this way cleavage is an important diagnostic property
because it tells us something about the atomic structure of a mineral.
The example above shows mica minerals. The platy mineral muscovite ( a type of mica
mineral) mentioned earlier belongs to this group. Within an individual sheet of mica (see
model of atomic structure), bonds are relatively strong. But between the sheets there are
weaker bonds. As a consequence, the mineral tends to break between these indvual
mica plates (and not across or any other direction). The figure above shows a person
holding a single sheet of muscovite. An aggregate of mica minerals are several of these
sheets “stacked” on top of each other, held together by relatively weak bonds.
Slide 37
Cleavage
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
# Cleavage Shape Sketch Direction of Sample

Directions Cleavage
muscovite
plagioclase
The next 3 slides show the common cleavage directions by minerals (for non-geology
majors: no need to memorize, appreciation is enough)
Slide 38
Cleavage
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

Directions Cleavage
amphibole
halite
Slide 39
Cleavage
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

Directions Cleavage
calcite
fluorite
Slide 40
Fracture
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
or irregular breakages occur

when bond strengths in a crystal
structure is equal in all
directions.
conchoidal fracture 
● Cleavage is exhibited by minerals with unequal bond strength in different directions.

However, some minerals have equal bond strength throughout and don’t break in
preferred planes. In turn, when they break, they just break in irregular surfaces. These
are fractures. The particular type of fracture shown here is exhibited by the mineral
quartz.
● Quartz’ atomic structure is composed of a complex three-dimensional network with

equal bond strengths in all direction. It breaks via a conchoidal fracture. You may also
have noticed that a lot of glass bottles or glasswares break with conchoidal fracture. In
some glasswares their main component is SiO2 and this is exactly the composition of
quartz.
Slide 41
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Other properties
1. Magnetism
2. Fluorescence
3. Reaction to chemicals
4. Taste
5. Odor
41
Slide 42
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
(crystalline)
ACTIVITY 1: Quiz (from intro to properties)
Log-in UVLe using your UP Mail accounts. This is a 15-point quiz
Slide 43
3
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Classification of Minerals
We have already defined what a mineral is and learned about the different physical
properties of minerals. Now we go to the different mineral groups.
Slide 44
Minerals in number
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
4,000 minerals identified

only a few dozen abundant
-make up most of Earth’s crust
“rock-forming minerals”
So far, over 4,000 minerals have already been identified. But don’t worry about
memorizing all of them one by one. Only a few of these minerals make up most of the
Earth’s crust. These few minerals are commonly called the “rock-forming minerals.”
Slide 45
Elements in the
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Element %
continental crust O 46.6
Si 27.7
Al 8.1
Fe 5.0
Ca 3.6
Na 2.8
K 2.6
Mg 2.1
Si and O most abundant
In earlier chapters, you have learned that only 8 elements make up the majority of Earth’s
crust (these 8 elements make up 98 % of earth’s crust by weight!). We hope by now that
the distinction between the terms elements, ions, ion groups are already clear to you.
Notice also that O and Si are in the top two places. These two elements readily bond to
form the basic building block of the most abundant mineral group, the silicates. These
silicate minerals, in turn, make up 90% of Earth’s crust (they are the common-rock forming
minerals). Quartz and the mica minerals we’ve mentioned earlier are examples of silicate
minerals.
Slide 46
Silicon-Oxygen tetrahedron (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Basic building block: Silicon-Oxygen tetrahedron

( SiO4-)
joined in sheets, chains or
3D structures primarily by
cations Fe, Mg, K, Na and
Ca
● So this is the Si-O bond we’ve mentioned in the previous slide. Called the ‘silicon-
oxygen tetrahedron,’ this forms the building block of the silicate minerals. (When we
say “building block” again, it means this unit is repeated in different ways throughout
the mineral’s structure).
● Notice that the Si-O tetrahedron is an anion group. It commonly bonds with cations Fe,
Mg, K, Na and Ca. Go back to the previous slide. Notice that these cations are derived
from the most abundant elements in the crust. After all, things usually bond with what’s
readily available.
Slide 47
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Other models for the Si-O tetrahedron. The Si 4+ ion is located at the center and bonded
tetrahedrally to four O2- ions.
Slide 48
Mineral Classification
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
1. Silicates
more than 800 are known (90% of Earth’s crust)
2. Non-silicates
includes most of economic minerals
Since silicates make up a huge percent of Earth’s crust, very generally and for
convenience, minerals are classified into (a) silicates and (b) non-silicates. Silicates are
those made up of the Si-O tetrahedron as their anion, while non-silicates are those made
up of other anion groups.
Slide 49
Silicate minerals
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Temperatute
● This is an overview of the different silicate groups. All of these silicates have the Si-O
tetrahedron. Silicates are classified based on how the Si-O tetrahedra are arranged
or repeated throughout the mineral’s structure (are they not linked with each other?
Are they linked in chains? Or in sheets? Or three-dimensionally?)
● The minerals are arranged vertically based on the temperature in which they form:
(olivine being formed high temperatures, going to quartz, which is formed in low-temp
environments.
We also refer to the silicate groups as the following:

• Olivine group – nesosilicates
• Pyroxene and amphibole groups – inosilicates
• Biotite and muscovite (sheet silicates) are collectively referred as phyllosilicates
• K-feldspar and Qz belong under the tectosilicate group
Slide 50
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
`
Temperatute
Do you see a trend in the complexity of structures as temperature decreases?

(from nesosilicates or olivine group to tectosilicates ?)
Yes you’re right, the linking of Si-O becomes more complex as we go from olivine to
quartz, which shows that the structure of silicates is a function of temperature (and
pressure), or more generally, their environment of formation.
Slide 51
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
SILICATES
And common rock-forming minerals
Let’s take a brief run-through with the different silicate groups, how their structure looks like
and their corresponding examples.
Slide 52
Nesosilicates (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
“island silicates”
e.g. olivine
The nesosilicates, or island silicates, form at relatively high temperature and pressure
conditions. “Island” because the Si-O tetrahedra as you can see are not linked with each
other! (The pyramids here represent individual Si-O tetrahedron, while the circles
represent cations). An example of nesosilicates is the mineral olivine, which is known for
its characteristic olive green color.
Slide 53
Inosilicates (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
single chain
e.g. pyroxene
Inosilicates are those where the Si-O tetrahedra are linked in chains. They are further
subdivided into two groups:
• Single chain (an example is pyroxene)
• Double chain (an example is amphibole)
Slide 54
double chain
e.g. amphibole
Inosilicates are those where the Si-O tetrahedra are linked in chains. They are further
subdivided into two groups:
• Single chain (an example is pyroxene)
• Double chain (an example is amphibole)
Slide 55
pyroxene amphibole
Here are examples of inosilicates in hand samples. More on these minerals, again, in the
next chapter :D
Slide 56
Phyllosilicates (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
sheet silicates
Phyllosilicates, on the other hand, are those where the Si-O tetrahedra are arranged in
sheets. The mica minerals we discussed in slide 40 (cleavage) comprise this silicate
group. Notice how the macroscopic appearance of minerals are just a manifestation of
what lies in the atomic scale?
Slide 57
Phyllosilicates (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
muscovite biotite clay minerals
Examples of sheet silicates!
Slide 58
Tectosilicates (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
framework silicates
e.g. quartz and feldspars
* Feldspars most abundant silicate

minerals 50% of earth’s crust
Quartz second most abundant
58
And lastly, the tectosilicates. The tectosilicates have a 3D framework of silicate tetrahedra.
This is the largest mineral mineral group.
Slide 59
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
1. Temperature of formation?
2. Complexity
So what?
As mentioned earlier, there is a trend in complexity as the temperature and pressure of

formation of the minerals decrease.
This shows that by carefully examining the mineral makeup of rocks (including their
silicate composition), geologists can determine the circumstances under which the rocks
formed.
Slide 60
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Non-silicate minerals
Native metals Oxides Sulfates Carbonates
Phosphates Halides Hydroxides Sulfides
Now we move on to the non-silicates. Although they make up only ~8% of the earth’s
crust, we are interested in them because a lot of economically valuable minerals belong
to this group (one of the components of cement is calcite, a carbonate. Copper and gold
also belong to this group). You will see in the next few slides that the non-silicates are
grouped based on their anion.
Please don’t stress yourself with the terms too much. In this part, we just want you to
identify common non-silicate minerals that you encounter in everyday life.
Slide 61
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
CARBONATES
Carbonate ion [CO32-]
Calcite: calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
Dolomite: calcium-magnesium carbonate
(CaMg(CO3)2)
● This mineral group is composed of the carbonate ion and one or more kinds of
positive ions. Since these are carbonates, these minerals effervesce if reacted with
HCl (recall that when carbonates are reacted with acid, CO2 gas is released. Those
are the bubbles you see)
USES
The most common carbonate mineral is calcite, (calcium carbonate). Calcite mainly
comprise the sedimentary rocks marble and limestone.
Limestone has many industrial uses! They are used as aggregates, as building stone, and
is a main component of cement. Marble, on the other hand, is used for decorating
materials because of its relative sturdiness and aesthetic (floors, tables, etc).
Slide 62
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
SULFATES
Sulfate ion [SO42-]
Gypsum: calcium sulfate + water (CaSO4.2H2O)

used in dentistry and orthopedics
Plaster of Paris
Barite: barium sulfate (BaSO4)
greek word Barys meaning “heavy”
● Gypsum is used industrially. Plaster of Paris is made up of this sulfate mineral.

Slide 63
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Sulfur ion [S2-]
Pyrite: iron sulfide (FeS2)

Galena: lead sulfide (PbS)
SULFIDES
Galena is mined for lead, an important component of lead batteries.
Slide 64
OXIDES (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Banded Iron Formation
Magnetite Fe3O4 Hematite Fe2O3
Slide 65
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Halides
Halogens
fluorine (F),
chlorine (Cl),
bromine (Br), iodine (I)
Halite: sodium chloride (NaCl)

Fluorite: calcium fluoride (CaF2)
Bromargyrite: silver bromide
(AgBr)
Halite, NaCl 65
Slide 66
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Native metals
● Metals of a single substance
Gold, Au Copper, Cu
Native metals are those that are made up of a single substance.

Slide 67
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
SUPPLEMENTARY VIDEO 1: From ore to more

When minerals are mined, most of the time they can’t be used right away
for our everyday needs. Please go to the next slide and see that for the
ores of iron and lead, for example, if you look at their chemical formula,
you’d see that the economically important metals Pb and Fe are still
bonded with other substances in the mineral and are therefore not readily
available. Extracting the economically valuable parts of the rock requires a
long process. This video will show you what it’s like to convert ore into
something more!
When minerals are mined, most of the time they can’t be used right away for our everyday
needs. Please go to the next slide and see that for the ores of iron and lead, for example,
if you look at their chemical formula, you’d see that the economically important metals Pb
and Fe are still bonded with other substances in the mineral and are therefore not readily
available. Extracting the economically valuable parts of the rock requires a long process.
This video will show you what it’s like to convert ore into something more!
Slide 68
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
Summary of non-silicates and their uses
Mineral Sample Chemical Economic
group mineral formula use
Carbonates Calcite CaCO3 Cement
Halides Halite NaCl Common salt
Oxides Magnetite Fe3O4 Ore of iron
Sulfides Galena PbS Ore of lead
Sulfates Gypsum CaSO4.2H2 Plaster
O
Native Copper Cu Conductor
elements
Slide 69
(1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)
(crystalline)
ACTIVITY 2: Minerals in your home

Take a look around your household. List down five objects (T.V., nife,
nailcutter) and enumerate the minerals used to produce these objects.
Instructions for submission will be announced by instructor.
Take a look around your household. List down five objects (T.V., knife, nailcutter) and
enumerate the minerals used to produce these objects. Instructions for submission will be
announced by instructor.
Slide 70
Here are some guide questions to wrap up your understanding of this lecture:
1. What are minerals?
2. What are the different physical properties used to identify minerals?
3. What are the 8 most abundant elements in Earth’s continental crust?
4. What are silicate minerals? How are silicates classified? How do silicate structures
change as temperatures change?
5. What are examples of common rock-forming minerals?
6. What are some examples of non-silicate minerals and their economic use?

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Slide 1

● Define what a mineral is

II. Streak I. Si-O tetrahedro

II. Silicate groups

IV. Luster II. Non-silicates and their economic

-made by natural, geologic processes

Q: Is sugar, a crystalline solid,

Halite (table salt) - NaCl

chert (SiO2) aragonite (CaCO3)

Yes ice is a mineral

4 Definite chemical composition

-can be represented by a chemical formula

pyrite, FeS2 Sulfur, S Diamond, C

5 Ordered internal structure

5 Ordered internal structure

OPTIONAL VIDEO 1: How do crystals grow? | Ted Ed

OPTIONAL VIDEO: See study guide for the guide questions

Q: Is volcanic glass a mineral?

5 Ordered internal structure

No, because it is amorphous.

If we look at the checklist, volcanic glass satisfies the following:

Mineraloids (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

naturally occurring, inorganic material that is

(a) amorphous (b) crystalline structure

So why are volcanic glass amorphous?

Rocks can be made up

Limestone (calcite, CaCO3)

….and organic debris, like coal.

Unlike the definition of minerals, rocks may be composed of non-mineral matter

Physical properties of minerals

Color GEOL 11 LEARNINGMATERIALS

caused by the absorption, reflection, transmission, refraction,

Color GEOL 11 LEARNINGMATERIALS

From idio- one’s own, chroma- color

Color GEOL 11 LEARNINGMATERIALS

On the other hand, we also have allochromatic minerals. (allo -other)

Streak GEOL 11 LEARNINGMATERIALS

• Color of a substance in its powdered form

Luster (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

-ability of minerals to reflect light

[1] metallic [2] non-metallic

Luster (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

diamond azurite sphalerite

gypsum var. satin

These are examples of minerals with non-metallic luster

Diaphaneity (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

• Degree of transparency or opacity

transparent translucent opaque

Opaque- no light transmitted

Habit (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

• shapes and aggregates that a certain mineral is likely to form

Habit (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

A single mineral can have different habits. (i.e. in hematite)

massive botryoidal specular

Habit (1st Sem, AY 2020-2021)

Some habits are distinct in certain minerals.

cubic galena platy muscovite

Resistance of mineral to abrasion or scratching

How do we measure the hardness of mineral?

Principle: some atomic bonds

-tendency to break along their

# Cleavage Shape Sketch Direction of Sample

# Cleavage Shape Sketch Direction of Sample

# Cleavage Shape Sketch Direction of Sample