EARTH SCIENCE

MINERAL
RESOURCES
 At the end of the lesson, the students
will be able to:
• identify the common rock-forming
minerals using their chemical and
physical properties
• describe the origin and environment
General of formation of common minerals
• identify the minerals important to
Objectives society
• describe how ore minerals are
found, mined and processed for
human use.
FACTS
About
MINERALS
Minerals are 01
substances we
use in our daily
life; in kitchens,
bedrooms,
bathrooms, etc.
This is an example of
a “Crystalline Rock”.
02
• Rocks are
everywhere. They
could be as big as a
mountain or as
small to fit in your
pocket.
If you look closely 02
at a rock, you can
find that it is made
up of smaller parts.
These are
minerals.
The Earth has 03
thousands of
minerals, but
only a hundred
are common.
Minerals are 04
Natural.
• They are found
in nature and
not made by
human.
Minerals are 05
Crystalline.
• They have a
regular crystal
shape or
pattern.
Minerals are 06
Inorganic.
• Not a plant.
• Not a living
organism.
• It is part of the
Earth and as old
as it.
Bonus Question: Answer:
If minerals are Both diamond and
inorganic (do not graphite are made
contain carbon), entirely out of
why is diamond a carbon.
mineral?
Bonus Question: Answer:
If minerals are The elements that
inorganic (do not make up a mineral
contain carbon), are always in a
why is diamond a fixed, systematic,
and repeating
mineral?
structure.
Bonus Question: Answer:
If minerals are This helps to cause
inorganic (do not the rigid solid
contain carbon), structure of
why is diamond a minerals. Diamond
is included.
mineral?
Mineral Amorphous Rock
named for its creator, the German geologist and
mineralogist Friedrich Mohs
Mineral: Talc Moh’s Hardness Scale: 1
• Talc is a naturally occurring
mineral, mined from the earth,
composed of magnesium, silicon,
oxygen, and hydrogen.
• Talc in powdered form, often
combined with corn starch, is
used as baby powder.
• This mineral is used as a
thickening agent and lubricant. It
is an ingredient in ceramics,
paints, and roofing material.
Mineral: Gypsum Moh’s Hardness Scale: 2
• Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral
composed of calcium sulfate
dihydrate.
• It is widely mined and is used as
a fertilizer and as the main
constituent in many forms of
plaster, and drywall.
Mineral: Calcite Moh’s Hardness Scale: 3
• Calcite is one of the most common
minerals. It occurs in a great variety of
shapes and colors.
• It has more uses than almost any
other mineral. It is used as
a construction material (in the form of
limestone and marble), pigment,
agricultural soil treatment,
pharmaceutical, acid neutralizer in the
chemical industry and more.
• Chalk is a soft, white, porous,
sedimentary carbonate rock, a form of
limestone composed of the
mineral calcite.
Mineral: Fluorite Moh’s Hardness Scale: 4
• Fluorite is the mineral form of calcium
fluoride, CaF₂.
• The primary uses of fluorite are flux in
steel manufacture, opalescent glass,
enamels for cooking utensils,
hydrofluoric acid, high-performance
telescopes, and camera lens.
Mineral: Apatite Moh’s Hardness Scale: 5
• Apatite is the most common
phosphate mineral.
• The primary use of apatite is as a
source of phosphate in the
manufacture of fertilizer and in other
industrial uses. It is occasionally used
as a gemstone.
• Apatite is best used in earrings and a
necklace because, with its Mohs rating
of 5--comparable to the hardness of
teeth--it can be easily scratched.
Mineral: Orthoclase Moh’s Hardness Scale: 6
• Orthoclase is a feldspar mineral and one
of the most abundant rock-
forming minerals of the continental crust.
• It is a raw material used in the production
of glass, ceramic tile, porcelain,
dinnerware, bathroom fixtures, and other
ceramics.
• As a mineral with a Mohs hardness of 6,
orthoclase is not an especially durable
gemstone. It will develop abrasions if used
in most types of jewelry, and it can easily
cleave upon impact. For these reasons,
orthoclase is more of a “collectors gem”
than a gem for use in jewelry.

Feldspar is the name of a large organization of rock-forming silicate minerals that make up over 50% of Earth's crust.
Mineral: Quartz Moh’s Hardness Scale: 7
• Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral
composed of silica (silicon dioxide).
• It is the most abundant mineral in
Earth's crust and is resistant to both
chemical and physical weathering.
• It has a hardness of seven on the
Mohs Scale which makes it very
durable.
• Its luster, color, and diaphaneity make
it useful as a gemstone and also in the
making of glass.

Diaphaneity (transparency) is the degree to which light is transmitted through a mineral

Mineral: Topaz Moh’s Hardness Scale: 8
• Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminum
and fluorine.
• It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and
other adornments.
• Common topaz in its natural state is
colorless, though trace element
impurities can make it pale blue or
golden brown to yellow orange.
Mineral: Corundum Moh’s Hardness Scale: 9
• Corundum is a rock-forming mineral
that is found in igneous, metamorphic,
and sedimentary rocks.
• The mineral is widely known for its
extreme hardness and for the fact that
it is sometimes found as beautiful
transparent crystals in many different
colors.
• The extreme hardness makes
corundum a perfect material for cutting
gemstones.
 The Corundum Family
Most people are familiar with corundum; however,
very few people know it by its mineral name –
instead, they know it by the names, “ruby” and
“sapphire.”
Mineral: Diamond Moh’s Hardness Scale: 10
• Diamond is a rare, naturally occurring
mineral composed entirely of carbon.
Each carbon atom in a diamond is
surrounded by four other carbon atoms
and connected to each of them by strong
covalent bonds - the strongest type of
chemical bond.
• Diamond is the hardest known natural
substance.
• Diamond also has special optical
properties such as a high index of
refraction, high dispersion, and an
adamantine luster. These properties help
make diamond the world's most popular
gemstone.
SUMMARY
5 CHARACTERISTICS/PROPERTIES
THAT ALL MINERALS MUST HAVE

1. Naturally occurring
2. Solid
3. Inorganic
4. Crystalline structure
5. The same chemical
composition
QUIZ Time
Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

1. Coal is a mineral.
Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

2. A mineral is naturally
occurring.
Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

3. All minerals react with

acids.
Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

4. Minerals are inorganic

(not living).
Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

5. Salt is a mineral.
Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

6. All rocks are minerals.

Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

7. All minerals are solid.

Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

8. All minerals have the

same hardness.
Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

9. Minerals have a definite

crystal structure.
Directions: Write T if the statement is True, and F if
the statement is False.

10. Diamond is the hardest

mineral.
ANSWERS
 Statement True False

1. Coal is a mineral. ✓
2. A mineral is naturally occurring. ✓
3. All minerals react with acids. ✓
4. Minerals are inorganic. (not living) ✓
5. Salt is a mineral. ✓
6. All rocks are minerals. ✓
 Statement True False

7. All minerals are solids. ✓

8. All minerals have the same hardness. ✓
9. Minerals have a definite crystal ✓
structure.
10. There are six properties that
✓
minerals have.
11. Diamond is the hardest mineral. ✓