MINERALS AND ROCKS

WHAT IS MINERALS?

• Are naturally formed, generally

inorganic, crystalline, solid and has
a definite chemical composition.
building blocks of rocks.
 WHAT IS MINERALOGY?

• Branch of Geology that deals with the study of Minerals. There are about 3,000 known minerals,
of that 20 minerals make up most rocks
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

1. Color

2. Streak
3. Hardness
4. Cleavage and Fracture
5. Crystalline structure
6. Transparency or diaphaneity
7. Magnetism
8. Tenacity
9. Luster
10. Odor
11. Specific Gravity
 COLOR
• These usually are the property used
to identify minerals easily. It is the
result of the way minerals absorb
light.
 STREAK
• Is the colour of the mineral in
powder form. For opaque minerals,
if you rub the sample across a streak
plate, it will leave a coloured
powder.
• This streak is distinctive for
minerals and is used to identify
minerals.
 HARDNESS
• It refers to the measure of the
mineral’s resistance to scratching.
Minerals with higher numbers will
scratch minerals below. To measure
the relative hardness of minerals, the
Moh's scale is used.
CLEAVAGE AND FRACTURES

• It is used to describe how minerals

break into pieces.
CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE

• It is crystal lattice, tells how a

mineral’s crystals are arranged.
• A hand lens is a necessary tool in
checking for crystalline structure.
TRANSPARENCY OR DIAPHANEITY

• It indicates the extent of light that

can pass through the mineral.
 MAGNETISM
• It indicates the ability of a mineral
to attract or repel other minerals.
 TENACITY
• The level of resistance or reaction of
minerals to stress such as crushing,
bending, breaking, or tearing
 LUSTER
• It refers to the reaction of a mineral
to light. It determines how brilliant
or dull the mineral is.
 ODOR
• a distinct smell of a mineral that is usually released from a chemical reaction when
subjected to water, heat, air or friction.
 SPECIFIC GRAVITY
• is a measure of the density of a
mineral. Determines how heavy the
mineral is by its weight to water.
 CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS
• Carbonate class
• Sulphate class
• Halide class
• Oxide class
• Sulphide class
• Phosphate class
• Native element class
 CARBONATE CLASS
• It is mostly found deposited in marine environments.
 SULPHATE CLASS
• It is formed in areas with high
evaporation rates and where salty
waters slowly evaporate.
 HALIDE CLASS
• It contains natural salts includes
fluorite, halite, sylvite and sal
ammoniac components. Usually
form in lakes, and sal ammoniac
components.
 OXIDE CLASS
• It is a diverse class. In science, these
minerals are important as that carry
histories of changes in Earth's
magnetic field. They are formed as
precipitates close to Earth's surface
or as oxidation products of minerals
during the process of weathering.
 SULPHIDE CLASS
• has important metals such as copper,
lead and silver which are considered
economically significant.
 PHOSPHATE CLASS
• It contains minerals with
phosphorus. Considered as
important biological mineral found
in teeth and bones in many animals.
NATIVE ELEMENT CLASS

• It contains metals and inter metallic

elements, semimetals nonmetals or
natural alloys and constituents of a.
few rare meteorites
 ROCKS
• Are natural substances consisting of
aggregate minerals clumped
together with other materials
through natural processes. Rocks,
like some materials, are products of
a natural cyclic process.
PROPERTIES OF ROCKS

1. Rocks exhibit different properties. As to colour, rocks may be dark,

light, reddish, Gray, brown, yellow or even black.

2. Rocks differ in texture: some are fine, others are rough.

3. Some are glossy in appearance and smooth to touch

4. Most rocks are hard, others are brittle

CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS
 IGNEOUS ROCKS
• It is derived from the Latin word ignis
meaning “fire” are crystallized from
magma or molten or partially molten
volcanic materials that came from within
Earth.
• Magma rises from the asthenosphere or at
the base of the crust through volcanoes or
any cracks and fissures on Earth's surface.
When it reaches the surface of Earth. thru
molten volcanic material is called lava.
 IMPORTANCE OF IGNEOUS ROCKS

• contains fossils that are evidences of geologic past

• coal, petroleum and natural gas are major energy source

• iron , aluminium and manganese are used in the construction industry.

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
• From the root word sediments
which means “remaining particles”
are rocks that have formed from the
deposition of different materials on
Earth's surface.
2 MAJOR GROUPS OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
 CLASTIC
• Form from the accumulation and
lithification of sediments derived
from the breakdown of pre-existing
rocks.
 NON-CLASTIC
• It is derived from sediments that
precipitated from concentrated
solutions (e.g. seawater) or from the
accumulation of biologic or organic
material (e.g. shells, plant material).
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
• Meta means “change”” and morph
means “form” are rocks derived
from igneous or sedimentary rocks
that were exposed to high pressure,
high temperature or a combination
of both, deep below the surface of
Earth.