Minerals & rocks

Ms. Macylaine Kate D.R. Siglos

Earth & Life Science Teacher
learning 1 Identify common rock-forming
competencies minerals using their physical and
chemical properties

2 Classify rocks into igneous,

sedimentary, and metamorphic
 Earth's Material
Earth has naturally occurring materials of which many are necessary for
existence. Earth materials include minerals and rocks. These materials,
along with other materials such as soil, water, air, and organic matter are
essential for the growth and survival of organisms, the structure of the land,
and the development of human civilization. All these Earth materials give
information about the history of Earth and of life.
Minerals
Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic solids. They are considered natural
because they are deprived from natural geologic processes. Minerals, have
crystalline structures (the atoms of which are arranged in an orderly repeating
pattern) and definite composition (the elements of which have specific
proportions).

There are thousands of minerals identified on Earth. A common

example of a mineral is salt. Other common rock-forming minerals are
sulphur, quartz, and graphite.
Examples of Minerals We use minerals in school, on the farm, and in the kitchen
• Graphite is often referred to as the most stable form of
Minerals are common in vitamin
carbon. Since the early 17th century, the Greeks have
products
used graphite as a writing tool–or pencil.
Mined minerals are an important
• Also known as brown coal, Lignite is a mineral that
part of human nutrition. Iron,
takes millions of years to form. Lignite helps to
manganese, selenium, and
generate electricity and can be found in plant fertilizer
calcium all provide day-to-day
products.
nutrients that the body needs in
• Every cell in our bodies uses Phosphorus because it
order to function. Foods that are
promotes growth and energy. This reactive mineral is
full of micronutrients (or vitamins
an active ingredient in items like baking soda, glass,
and minerals) can help strengthen
and kitchenware.
cells, fight against harmful
• Minerals can be found in batteries, jet engines, and
viruses, and boost the immune
other modern technologies
system.
Examples of Minerals
Copper was originally refined
from its ores to make instruments,
weapons, and hunting tools.
This popular metal is applied to a
number of minerals, such as
cuprite (copper oxide) and bornite.
Copper is also one of the best
conductors of electricity, which is
why it’s used to make computer
chips, wiring, smartphone
displays, and car parts.
Nickel is a silvery chemical
element that is typically made from
two mineral deposits, pentlandite
and pyrrhotite.
Since the 19th century, nickel has
been a component of coins in the
United States, India, Switzerland
and Canada.
We now use nickel to make electric
guitar strings, microphone
capsules, jet engines, and power
cells.
Lithium is a soft chemical element
that gained praise after being
discovered to treat psychiatric
diseases in the mid-1800s. Today,
lithium and its compounds have
been used to:
• Make Li-Ion batteries
• Produce commercial electric
vehicles
• Create underwater subsea
electrification
• Power telecommunication
devices
 Physical properties of minerals

Used to easily identify a mineral. In some cases, same materials may be found
in different places and in different forms but their fundamental physical
properties remain the same. Some of the useful physical properties for
identifying minerals are color, streak, hardness, cleavage, crystalline structure,
transparency, magnetism, tenacity, luster, odor, and specific gravity.
Physical properties of minerals
1. Color
is usually the property used to identify minerals easily. It is a result of the way
minerals absorb light. However, this property may not be used in identifying
translucent to transparent minerals due to the presence of trace amounts of other
minerals in them. Therefore, color is considered the least reliable means of identifying
minerals.
2. Streak
is the color of the mineral in powder form. In cases when the color of minerals appear
different because of trace particles inside them. Scientists would pulverize them to get
their true color. In this case, the colors of the minerals become visible and clear.
However, pulverizing minerals is tedious and makes the minerals lose integrity.
Physical properties of minerals
3. Transparency or diaphaneity
indicates the extent of light that can pass through the mineral. Hence, the degree of
transparency may depend on the thickness of the mineral.
4. Cleavage & Fracture
are used to describe how minerals break into pieces. Minerals are crystalline structures
and breakage may take place in weak parts of the structures. The breakage along the
crystalline structure where a mineral is likely to break smoothly is known as cleavage. A
mineral fractures when it breaks in a direction where there is no cleavage.

5. Magnetism
indicates the ability of a mineral to attract or repel other minerals. only a variety of one
mineral acts as a magnet, generating magnetic fields on its own.
Physical properties of minerals
6. Crystalline Structure or Crystal Lattice
tells how a mineral’s are arranged. A hand lens is a necessary tool in checking for
crystalline structure. A crystal solid is said to form a regular repeating three –
dimensional crystal lattice, while an amorphous solid forms aggregates that have no
particular order or arrangement.

7. Tenacity
is the level of resistance or reaction of minerals to stress such as crushing, bending,
breaking, or tearing. It can tell if a mineral is brittle, malleable, elastic, etc
Physical properties of minerals
8. Luster
refers to the reaction of a mineral to light. It determines how brilliant or dull the
mineral is.
9. Odor
distinct smell of a mineral that is usually released from a chemical reaction when
subjected to water, heat, air, or friction. Sulfur, for example, smells like a lit match.
The strength of this smell increases when the mineral is heated or struck, giving off
an odor similar to rotten eggs.
10. Specific Gravity
a measure of the density of a mineral. It determines how heavy the mineral is by its
weight to water. Specific gravity is used especially when two minerals have the same
size or same color. The specific gravity each mineral can distinguish them apart.
Physical properties of minerals
11. Hardness
refers to the measure of the mineral’s resistance to scratching. To measure the relative
hardness of minerals, the Mohs scale is used. The harder the mineral, the greater is
its resistance to scratching. The Mohs scale of hardness was development in 1812 by
a German mineralogist named Frederick Mohs (1773 -1839). It grades 10 fairly
common minerals on a scale from 1 being the softest to 10 being the hardest. For
example, a piece of chalk (talc) has a hardness of 1. Chalk can be easily scratched by
an iron nail that has a hardness of 4.
Chemical properties of minerals
Another way of identifying and classifying minerals is according to their
chemical composition. This classification was first used in 1848 by James Dana
(1813 -1895), a Yale University professor. Minerals are divided into eight basic
classes:

Silicate Class

is the largest and most abundant group containing silicon and

oxygen with some aluminium, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
Some examples of these minerals are feldspar, quartz, pyroxene,
mica, garnet, olivine, and amphibole.
Chemical properties of minerals
Carbonate Class

mostly found deposited in marine environments. Minerals belonging to this group are
formed the shells of dead plankton and other marine organisms. This group of minerals
are also found in areas where high rates of evaporation take place such as Great Salt
Lake in Utah. Other places where these minerals settle are areas where dissolution of
soluble rocks took place (karst region) such as caves, where stalactites and stalagmites
are formed. The carbonate class also includes nitrate and borate minerals.
Chemical properties of minerals

Sulphate Class
forms in areas with high evaporation rates and where salty waters slowly evaporate.
During this process, the formation of sulphates and halides in water –sediment
interface occurs. Some of the most common sulphate minerals are anhydrite,
Celestine, barite, and gypsum. This class may also include chromate, molybdate,
selenite, sulphite, tellurate, and tungstate minerals.
Chemical properties of minerals
Halide Class
contains natural salts and includes fluorite, halite, sylvite, and Sal ammoniac components. These
minerals usually form in lakes, ponds, and other landlocked seas such as the Dead Sea and the Great
Salt Lake. Minerals in this class have already low hardness, may be transparent, have good
cleavage, have low specific gravities, and are poor conductors of heat and electricity.
Oxide Class

is a diverse class. Metallic minerals such as hematite and gemstones such as chrysoberyl and spinal
belong to this class. In science, these minerals are important as they 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 process of weathering.
Chemical properties of minerals
Sulphide Class
has important metals such as copper, lead, and silver, which are considered
economically significant. These metals are found in electrical wires, industrials, and
other things thaare needed in construction.

Phosphate Class
contains minerals with phosphorus. The phosphate class is considered an important
biological mineral found in the teeth and bones of many animals.
Chemical properties of minerals

Native Elements Class

contains metals and intermetallic elements (e.g., gold, silver, copper),

semimetals, nonmetals (e.g., antimony, bismuth, graphite, sulphur) or natural
alloys, and constituents of a few rare meteorites.
rocks

Rocks are natural substances

consisting of aggregate minerals
clumped together with other Earth
materials through natural
processes. Rocks, like some
materials, are products of a natural
cyclic process.
Classification of rocks
Igneous Rocks
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,
the molten volcanic materials is called lava.
 Examples of
Igneous Rocks

Granite
Granite is a hard igneous rock
made of clearly visible crystals
of various minerals. Granites
are used for buildings and
houses, especially in the
kitchen and bathroom.
 Examples of
Igneous Rocks

Basalt
Basalt is a dark-coloured, fine-grained
igneous rock. Basalt is one of the
main rocks that are prevalent in the
oceanic crust. As basalt is rich in iron,
it is used as an ingredient in concrete.
Basalt is the most common type of
igneous rock.
 Examples of
Igneous Rocks

Pumice
Pumice is a light igneous rock with
thousands of tiny bubbles in them.
They are used to remove dead skin
from the bottom of our feet. It is
used in abrasive cleaning products.
sedimentary
rocks
from the root word sediments which mean “remaining particles” are rocks that
have formed the deposition of different materials on Earth’s surface. They come
from pre-existing rocks or pieces of dead organisms that have been “lithified”
or cemented together by natural processes. Usually, they show distinct layering
or bedding on the surface.
sedimentary
rocks
Most sedimentary rocks are found in beaches, rivers, and oceans, where sand,
mud, and other type of sediments are present (which is why they are called
sedimentary). They preserve or “record” the kind of environment that existed
when they were being formed. Scientists use sedimentary rocks to learn about
the climate and environment that had changed through Earth’s history. Fossils
(or remains of organisms that had lived millions of years ago) are also
preserved in sedimentary rocks.
Examples of
Sedimentary rocks

Chalk is a type of limestone made up of the

microscopic calcium carbonate shells of marine
organisms. Chalk is soft, friable, porous, and
effervesces vigorously in contact with
hydrochloric acid. Because it is very porous,
subsurface chalk units can serve as reservoirs for
oil and natural gas.
Examples of
Sedimentary rocks

Coal is an organic sedimentary rock that forms

mainly from plant debris. The plant debris usually
accumulates in a swamp environment. Coal is
combustible and is often mined for use as a fuel. The
specimen shown above is about two inches (five
centimeters) across.
Examples of
Sedimentary rocks

Dolomite (also known as "dolostone" and "dolomite

rock") is a chemical sedimentary rock that is very
similar to limestone. It is thought to form when
limestone or lime mud is modified by magnesium-
rich ground water. The specimen shown above is
about four inches (ten centimeters) across.
metamorphic
Rocks
meta means “change” and morph means “form” are rocks that derive from
igneous or sedimentary rocks that were exposed to high pressure, high
temperature, or a combination of both, deep below the surface of Earth. Because
of this exposure, some of the minerals in these rocks undergo chemical and
physical changes.
Example of
Metamorphic rocks
Anthracite is the highest rank of coal. It has been
exposed to enough heat and pressure that most of the
oxygen and hydrogen have been driven off, leaving a
high-carbon material behind. It has a bright, lustrous
appearance and breaks with a semi-conchoidal fracture.
It is often referred to as "hard coal"; however, this is a
layman's term and has little to do with the hardness of
the rock.
Example of
Metamorphic rocks

Gneiss is a foliated metamorphic rock that has a

banded appearance and is made up of granular
mineral grains. It typically contains abundant quartz
or feldspar minerals. The specimen shown above is
about two inches (five centimeters) across.
Example of
Metamorphic rocks
Hornfels is a fine-grained nonfoliated metamorphic rock
with no specific composition. It is produced by contact
metamorphism. Hornfels is a rock that was "baked"
while near a heat source such as a magma chamber, sill,
or dike. The specimen shown above is about two inches
(five centimeters) across.
Rock Cycle
 Rocks are created and destroyed in the rock cycle. The rock cycle is a
diagram that shows the continuous succession of how rocks form,
breakdown, and reform as a result of the processes that induce the formation
of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
Igneous rocks begin as melted rocks (magma), and then in time, crystallize and freeze, depending on the
condition of the environment.

Weathering, or the breaking down of rocks and soil, allows igneous rocks to be mixed with other Earth
materials (including organic matter and microorganisms) and be transported to another place.

The mixture is compacted and cemented, resulting in sedimentary rocks.as rocks continue to move and
be exposed to various heat and pressure, and they change physically and chemically, sometimes causing
the formation of metamorphic rocks. In some cases, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks are pushed
deep under the surface of Earth until they sink into the mantle (subduction). In this case, they can
transform to igneous rocks.
 Scientists have identified
more than 4,000 minerals in
Earth’s crust.
Geology is the study of rocks
and Geologists are the people
who study them.
Mineralogists are the
scientists who study
minerals.
Earth’s moon is made out of
igneous rocks.
Thank
you!