Earth Space Science Chapter 4 Minerals Mineral Characteristics
- Slides: 15
Earth & Space Science Chapter 4 Minerals
Mineral Characteristics Naturally occurring Inorganic (has never been alive) Solid Specific chemical composition (can be an element or a compound) • Atoms are arranged in a regular crystal structure • • Name some minerals…. Is coal a mineral? Salt? Sugar? Glacial ice? Natural gas? Diamond?
How Minerals Form • Molten magma cools and crystallizes – If cooling is slow, large crystals form – If cooling is fast, small crystals form • Minerals can form from solutions – Water can evaporate, leaving mineral crystals behind – Minerals can precipitate from a saturated solution
Mineral Identification • Luster (metallic or nonmetallic)
Mineral Identification • Color (not always reliable for identification)
Mineral Identification • Streak color (scrape against a ceramic tile)
Mineral Identification • Hardness (how easily it is scratched)
Mineral Identification • Cleavage/fracture (does it break evenly or with jagged edges
Mineral Identification • Texture • How does it feel? (smooth, rough, glassy, soapy, greasy) • Feel these minerals: – Quartz (smooth/glassy) – Graphite (greasy) – Talc (soapy)
Mineral Identification • Crystal structure
Mineral Identification • Specific Gravity/Density
California in 1849…. • How would you tell the difference between gold and pyrite (fool’s gold)?
Special Properties Taste (halite) Smell (sulfur) Magnetism (magnetite) Double refraction (calcite-Iceland spar) Effervescence—bubbles—in acid (calcite/carbonates) • Fluorescence—glow in the dark (fluorite) • Iridescence—color changing (labradorite, bornite) • • •
Mineral Groups Sharing similar chemical composition: • Silicates: quartz, feldspar, mica • Carbonates: calcite, dolomite, azurite • Metal oxides: hematite, magnetite • Others: – Sulfides: pyrite – Halides: halite – Native elements: copper, silver, etc.
Economically Important Minerals • Ore: a mineral that contains a useful substance that can be mined profitably – Hematite (iron) – Bauxite (aluminum) • Gem: a mineral prized for its rarity and beauty – Ruby – Emerald – Diamond
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