Transcript Mineral
What is a mineral?
Mineral- a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid that has
a specific crystal structure and chemical composition.
1)Naturally occurring- made by the earth
1)Mineral/ quartz, sulfur, diamond, gold, silver
2)Not a mineral- coal, brick, glass, steel
2)Inorganic- made of nonliving material
3)Specific Chemical Composition- the elements that make the
minerals have a definite chemical formula.
4)Crystal Structure- the pattern that the particles form over and
over again creating the shape of the mineral
Characteristics to classify minerals:
1.Color
2.Streak- the powder
of the minerals
3.Luster- the way a
mineral shines
4.Density-heaviness
5.Hardness- scratch
glass, scratch steel,
can scrape with
fingernails...
6.BreaksCleavage
Color
Sulfur
Orthoclase Feldspar
Amethyst Quartz
Rose Quartz
Streak- the powder of the minerals.
Streak is determined by scraping the mineral on a
streak plate and observing the color left on the plate.
Luster- the way a mineral shines or
reflects light.
Types of lusters to select from:
Metallitic luster-(graphite)
Dull luster (kaoloinite)
Glassy luster-(quartz)
Waxy, pearly, greasy(talc)
Density- how heavy the mineral
Galena- extremely heavy mineral
Hardness- if the mineral can scratch
things or be scratched.
Test using Mohs Hardness Scale
How the mineral Breaks- a minerals
breaks in two ways:
1. Cleavage- when a mineral splits into a
pattern because of the arrangement of the
atoms.
Mica- breaks in thin sheets
Calcite-squared edges
Halite is cubic
2. Fracture- the minerals breaks in no specific
or irregular way.
Rose quartz
Hematite
Olivine
Other Properties
Some minerals have other unique
characteristics that determine the name.
Sulfur smells like rotten eggs
Magnetite is magnetic
Florescence- glows under UV lights
Halite tastes salty
Franklin County NJ has the most Florescent mineral mined
collection in the world!!!!
Rocks
What is the difference
between rocks and minerals?
Rocks are made up of mixtures of minerals and other
materials.
-Example: Granite is made up of...
Quartz
Hornblend
Orthoclase
Feldspar
Igneous Rocks
Rocks that are formed from magma (melted rock under the
earth’s surface) or lava (melted rock on the earth’s surface).
Two Types of Igneous Rock
Intrusive
Extrusive
formed inside the earth(magma)
formed on the earth (lava)
Granite
Obsidian
Scoria
Gabbro
Pumice
Texture and Crystals of rocks of
Igneous Rocks
A. Texture- the size of the grains that make up the rock
Coarse Grain
(large grains)
Granite
Fine Grain
(small grains, like sand)
Basalt
No Crystals- cooled too quickly for
crystals to form
Obsidian
B. Crystals- depends on how fast the rocks cooled
Volcanic (from lava)- shot from a volcano, cool to
quickly for crystals to form
From Magma- magma cools slowly allows the
crystallized minerals to form
Three Types of Sedimentary Rocks:
A. Clastic- formed from pieces/fragments of rocks being squeezed
together.
Sandstone
Examples:
Conglomerate
B. Organic- made from remains of plants and/or animals.
Limestone
Shale
C. Chemical- formed from minerals dissolving in water and
the forms into crystals.
Limestone
Geodes
Sedimentary Rocks
Rocks that are formed through a series of
processes: erosion, deposition, compaction and
cementation.
Erosion- particles carried away by wind or water.
Deposition- particles placed in an area.
Compaction- particles squeezed under pressure.
Cementation- particles are glued together
Metamorphic Rocks
Rocks that change under the Earth’s surface from heat
and pressure.
Characteristics of metamorphic rocks:
Foliated-layers
Gneiss
Nonfoliated- no layers
Marble
Rock Cyclea series of processes on the earth’s surface and under
the surface that slowly change rocks from one type to
another.