The Local Environment

• 6 – 6.5 weeks
• Field trip Tuesday 17th May
• Assessment Task 2 – Part A Due as you get on the bus. Part B on the following Monday
Earth as a System

What are the ‘spheres’ of the Earth?

List features of each

What are biotic and abiotic factors?

List some examples of each

Today’s work:

• textbook page 125 questions (not q 7)

• textbook page 126 questions 1,2,3   
Composition of the Crust
MINERALS

• Naturally Occurring
• Inorganic
• Chemical Compounds

• About 5000 Known

• 200 Rock-Forming
MINERALS

• More than 90% on the crust is

composed of silicate minerals.
• Most abundant silicates are
feldspars, quartz, pyroxenes,
amphiboles, micas and clay
minerals.
• Only 8% of the crust is
composed of non-silicates —
carbonates, oxides, sulfides, etc
 Identifying Minerals
• Color: extremely variable, complex causes
• Hardness: strength of atomic bonds
• Density: mass and spacing of atoms
• Luster: how electrons interact with light
• Cleavage: weak atomic planes
Color
• Sometimes Distinctive
• Often Unreliable
• Affected By:
• Chemical Impurities
• Surface Coating
• Grain Size
• Weathering

4. Minerals can be identified by their

physical properties = atomic structure
Hardness
• Resistance to Scratching
• Directly related to relative strength of atomic bonds
• Scratch Test (Mohs)
• Indentation Test (Knoop)
Common Errors due to:
• Weathering, ‘Chalk' marks
• Breaking vs. Scratching
Mohs vs. Knoop Scales
1. Talc: very small
2. Gypsum, Fingernail: 30
3. Calcite, Penny: 135
4. Fluorite: 163
5. Apatite: 430
6. Feldspar, Glass: 560
7. Quartz: 820
8. Topaz: 1340
9. Corundum: 2100
10. Diamond:4. Minerals
7000can be identified by their
physical properties = atomic structure
Density

• Directly related to masses of component atoms

and their spacing
• Usually very consistent

4. Minerals can be identified by their

physical properties = atomic structure
Density - gm/cm3
(weight relative to water )
• Air: 0.001
Wood - Balsa: 0.1, Pine: 0.5, Oak: 0.6-0.9
Gasoline: 0.7, Motor Oil: 0.9
Ice: 0.92
Water: 1.00
Sugar: 1.59
Halite: 2.18
Quartz: 2.65
Most Major Minerals: 2.6-3.0
Aluminum: 2.7

4. Minerals can be identified by their

physical properties = atomic structure
Density
• Pyrite, Hematite, Magnetite: 5.0
Galena: 7.5
Iron: 7.9
Copper: 9
Lead: 11.4
Mercury: 13.6
Uranium: 19
Gold: 19.3
Platinum: 21.4
Iridium: 22.4 (densest material on Earth)

4. Minerals can be identified by their

physical properties = atomic structure
Luster
• Metallic or Nonmetallic is the most important distinction.
• Resinous, waxy, silky, etc. are self-explanatory.
• Vitreous is often used for glassy luster.

4. Minerals can be identified by their

physical properties = atomic structure
 Cleavage
• Tendency to split along smooth planes of
weaknessbetween atoms in crystal
• Directly related to atomic structure
• Related to Crystal Form
• Every cleavage face is a possible crystal face
• Not every crystal face is a cleavage face. Quartz
commonly forms crystals but lacks cleavage.

4. Minerals can be identified by their

physical properties = atomic structure