MINERALS

Definition of a Mineral
It is a natural inorganic
substance with a definite
chemical composition.
It does not come from living
things.
A solid substance.
Orderly crystalline structure.
 How Minerals Form
1. Crystallization from magma
2. Precipitation
3. Pressure and temperature
4. Hydrothermal solutions
Minerals Formed as a Result of
Crystallization of Magma
 Mineral Groups

Can be classified based on their

composition
1. Silicates
-Silicon and oxygen combine to form a
structure called the silicon-oxygen
tetrahedron. This silicon-oxygen
tetrahedron provides the framework of
every silicate mineral.
The Silicon-Oxygen Tetrahedron
 Mineral Groups

2. Carbonates
-Minerals that contain the elements carbon,
oxygen, and one or more other metallic
elements
3. Oxides
- Minerals that contain oxygen and one or
more other elements, which are usually
metals
 Mineral Groups

4. Sulfates and Sulfides

- Minerals that contain the element
sulfur
5. Halides
- Minerals that contain a halogen ion
plus one or more other elements
 Mineral Groups

6. Native elements
- Minerals that exist in
relatively pure form
Sulfides
Native Copper
 PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

1. HARDNESS- the ability of a

mineral to resist abrasion
- the harder the mineral is,
the more difficult it is to
scratch.
 WAYS TO IDENTIFY MINERALS

1882- a German minerologist

named Friedrich Mohs,
presented a scale of
identifying the hardness of
a mineral.
 Mohs Scale

Mohs Scale- consist of 10 minerals

arranged from 10 (hardest) to 1
(softest).
Mohs Scale
 PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

2. Luster- It refers to the way in

which light is reflected from a
mineral.
- shining appearance of minerals
EX. Silver and Gold
-possess metallic luster
Pyrite (Fool’s Gold) Displays
Metallic Luster
 PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

3. Streak- the color of a

mineral in its powdered form.
 PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

4. Cleavage- is the tendency of a

mineral to cleave, or break,
along flat, even surfaces.
- means splitting
Mica Has Cleavage in One Direction
 PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

5. Fracture— the uneven

breakage of
a mineral
Conchoidal Fracture
 PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

7. Crystal form- It is the visible

expression of a mineral’s
internal arrangement of atoms.
Quartz Often Exhibits Good Crystal
Form
 PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

8. Density is a property of all matter

that is the ratio of an object’s mass
to its volume.
PREPARE FOR A
QUIZ…