Minerals Building blocks of rocks

Definition:
naturally occurring
excludes synthetic minerals
inorganic
non living processes form them
chemically specific
has a unique proportion of elements
crystalline solid
atoms are arranged in specific 3-D patterns
Part of the Geosphere; found in Hydrosphere (hard
water); essential for Biosphere (life needs it!);
Atmosphere assists in alteration (weathering); Exosphere
provided raw materials (stars create elements).
 Atoms
Protons - positive charge +1 Neutrons - no charge
Have a mass of 1- unit Have a mass of 1- unit
Electrons- have negative charge (-1) & negligible mass
Atomic Mass & Number
•• Atomic Number
>> The number of protons in an atom.
•• Atomic Mass
>> The number of protons + neutrons +electrons.
>> How isotopes of an element differ from one
another.

•• Isotopes
Isotopes
> Atoms of the same element that have
different numbers of neutrons, yet still have
the usual number of protons for that particular
element.
Isotopes
Periodic Table of Elements
Periodic Table of Elements

• table 2-2, p. 23
 Ions Ions
atoms or
•• atoms or groups
groups of of atoms
atoms that
that have
have an
an electrical
electrical
charge
charge
results from
-- results from gaining
gaining or
or losing
losing electrons
electrons
Anion*
•• Anion
negatively charged
-- negatively charged atom
atom
e.g. Cl,
-- e.g. Cl, OO22,,
Cation*
•• Cation
positively charged
-- positively charged
e.g. Na,
-- e.g. Na, K,K, FeFe22
Complex
•• Complex
-- aa group
group ofof atoms
atoms with
with aa charge
charge
e.g. SO
-- e.g. SO44,, CO
CO33
 Chemical Bonds- control many physical properties
Covalent
•• Covalent
-- Atoms share their
Atoms share their outer-most
outer-most electrons
electrons with
with another
another atom
atom
Very strong
-- Very strong bond
bond
Ionic
•• Ionic
Atoms get
-- Atoms get rid
rid of
of electrons
electrons from
from their
their outer-most
outer-most shell.
shell.
results in
-- results in aa charged
charged (+(+ or
or -)
-) atom
atom
not as
-- not as strong
strong asas above
above
Metallic
•• Metallic
A sea
-- A sea of
of electrons
electrons surrounding
surrounding nuclei
nuclei
Electrons freely
-- Electrons freely exchanged
exchanged among
among atoms
atoms
Metals make
-- Metals make good
good conductors!
conductors!
can be
-- can be strong
strong
Van der
•• Van der Waals
Waals
electrostatic charge
-- electrostatic charge
weak bond
-- weak bond
Carbon
Different chemical bond types result in different
minerals with different properties, despite being
composed of the same element
What is a physical property?

Identify a physical property found in

minerals.
 Physical
Physical Properties
Properties of Minerals
• Color
• Luster
• Streak
• Hardness • Related to the atomic
- Moh's Relative Scale structure & type of
bonding
• Crystal Habit
- The way it grows
• Cleavage or Fracture
breaks into
- breaks planes
into (flat (flat
planes surfaces) or not
surfaces)
• Density (Specific Gravity)
Color
Easiest to identify
Can be diagnostic (e.g., azurite = bright blue)
But commonly misleading due to extreme variability
impurities in between crystalline structure
impurities incorporated into the crystalline structure
Examples in Quartz

green blue yellow (citrine) pink (Rose)

brown
(Smoky) purple
clear
(Amethyst)
(Rock
crystal)
 Moh's Relative
Moh's Hardness
Relative ScaleScale
Hardness
Controls how resistant rocks are to erosion
1 Talc- (softest) 6 Feldspar
> T exas > For 6.5 steel file /nail*
2 Gypsum 2.5 fingernail 7 Quartz
> G irls (or Guys) > Quarters
3 C alcite 8 Topaz
> C an 3.5 copper penny
> They
4 Fluorite 9 C orundum
> Flirt > Can
5 Apatite 5.0 streak plate* 10 D iamond- (hardest)
> A nd > Dance
5.5 plate glass*
* These items can be slightly harder or softer depepnding on how they were
made, and what is in them
Physical properties continued…
Cleavage vs Fracture vs Crystal shape
all related to chemical elements and types of bonds
Cleavage - the tendency to break along a plane
typically a zone of weak chemical bonds
Fracture - the tendency to break in non-planar surfaces
most notable is conchoidal fracture- curved conical
shapes common in quartz
Crystal habit- the 3 dimensional shape of minerals as
they grow- can be quite spectacular and diagnostic
 Crystal examples

Pyrite

Fluorite
Peridot

Quartz
The mineral Quartz,
as well as some kinds
of rocks, exhibits this
unique kind of fracture
Other properties
Streak- the color of the powdered mineral against a
white background
Luster- the outer appearance- e.g. metallic,
and non-metallic such as: vitreous,, resinous, waxy,
greasy, pearly, silky, adamantine.
Special properties
taste, smell, reactivity to acids (HCl), magnetism,
pleochroism
Density- the weight per unit volume- a measure of how
closely packed the atoms are
Why are minerals physical properties
important?
Common elements in the crust
Silica (Si) - makes silicate minerals with oxygen
Oxygen (O) - makes silicate, oxide, carbonate, sulfate,
minerals when combined with other
elements
Aluminum (AL) - a “garbage can” element- in many classes
Iron (Fe) - another “garbage can” element-in many classes
Magnesium (Mg) - another “garbage can” element-in many
classes
Calcium (Ca) - contributes to silicate species and
carbonates
Sodium (Na) - contributes to halide and silicates
 Mineral Mineral Classes
Classes (1:2)
•• Silicates- Silicon-oxide Ion (Si O ) x x
Quartz (SiO
-- Quartz, 2), Feldspar,
Feldspar, Biotite,Biotite, Muscovite
Muscovite
•• Oxides- Oxygen (O x )
Hematite (Fe
-- Hematite, 2O3), Magnetite (Fe2O4)
Magnetite
2-
•• Carbonates- Carbonate anion (CO3 )
- Calcite (CaCO3), Dolomite, Malachite (Cu2(CO3)(OH)2)
2-
•• Sulfates- Sulfate anion (SO4 )
- Gypsum (CaSO4) • 2(H2O), Anhydrite, Barite
•• Sulfides- Sulfur (S) anion
- Galena (PbS), Cuprite (CuS), Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S)
• Native elements- Pure element
-Gold (Au),
- Gold, Silver
Silver, (Ag),Sulfer
Copper, Copper (Cu), Sulfur (S)
Halides- F,
•• Halides- contain F, ICl, Br, I anions
Cl, Br,
Halite (NaCl),
-- Halite, Sylvite,Sylvite
Fluorite(KCl), Fluorite (CaF2)
xx -- variable
variable number
number of
of the
the element
element
 Importance as Rock Builders
• All rocks are composed of Minerals.
minerals
• 12 or are considered
so are considered common.
common.
> Olivine, Augite, Hornblende, Biotite
- darker colors- Green, Blue, Black, Brown
> Quartz,
> *Orthoclase, *Plagioclase (*feldspars),
> Muscovite, Calcite, Dolomite, Gypsum, Halite
- lighter colors- Pink, White, Yellow, Gray, Clear
 Fe, Mg-rich Silicates

Olivine Hornblende

Augite Biotite mica

 Quartz & Al-rich Silicates

Potassium
feldspar
Quartz (Orthoclase)

Plagioclase
feldspar

Muscovite
 Carbonates White calcite CaCO3

note rhombohedral cleavage

in all three carbonate
samples shown

Optical Calcite- CaCO3

shows double refraction. Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2
rhombohedral crystal
 Sulfides, Sulfates & Halides
forms of Gypsum-
CaSO4 •2H2O

Alabaster

Galena—PbS

Satin spar

Halite—NaCl
Selenite
Importance of
Importance of Minerals
Minerals
• Contain elements essential for life.
>> Na, Salt-NaCl
Na, Salt-NaCl > Cl,Cl, Salt-NaCl
Salt-NaCl
>> Fe, Hematite
Fe, Hematite -Fe
-Fe2O
2O 33

>> Mg, Dolomite-(Ca,Mg)

Mg, Dolomite-(Ca,Mg) 22COCO33
>> Ca, Calcite-CaCO
Ca, Calcite-CaCO33
>> K, Sylvite-KCl
K, Sylvite-KCl
• Economically significant
Au-Gold, Ag-Silver,
>> Au-Gold, Ag-Silver, Cu-Copper
Cu-Copper
PbS-Galena (Lead)
>> PbS-Galena (Lead)
Fe22O
>> Fe O33-Hematite
-Hematite (Iron)
(Iron)
Al22O
>> Al O33-Corundum
-Corundum (Aluminum)
(Aluminum)
• Aesthetically pleasing GEMSTONES!
>> Diamond- C,
Diamond- C, Aquamarine-Be
Aquamarine-Be33Al
Al22(Si
(Si66O
O1818),
),
>> Ruby, Sapphire-Al
Ruby, Sapphire-Al22O
O33
Where do rocks come from?
• Building blocks of all rocks are minerals
• Some minerals form as molten rock cools
• Some minerals form as chemical precipitates
• Some are produced by chemical reactions (weathering)
• Some are “manufactured” by living things

Biotite mineral grain

Feldspar
mineral
grain

Quartz mineral
grain