What is a Mineral About 3000 Mineral exist

What is a Mineral?

About 3000 Mineral exist in the Earth’s crust. However only about 30 of those minerals are common.

Defining Characteristics of a Mineral 1. Naturally Occurring 2. Inorganic 3. Solid 4. Specific Composition 5. Definite Crystal Structure

Naturally Occurring - formed by natural processes

Inorganic - not alive and never was alive

Solid - definite shape and volume

Specific Composition - has a molecular formula ex. Quartz Si. O 2

Definite Crystal Structure - atoms arranged in repeated patterns

Crystal - A solid in which the atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern

For a mineral to grow in a regular geometric shape it must grow at a slow even rate in a nonrestricted open space

For a mineral to grow with no particular shape it must grow at a fast uneven rate in a restricted space

Minerals Can Form From Magma & Solution

Magma - Molten materials found beneath the Earth’s surface

Minerals that will form from magma depends on the type of elements & amount of elements present

Size of Crystals is Dependent on Cooling Rate

Slow cooling from deep within Earth’s Interior produces large crystals Fast cooling near the surface produces small crystals

Solution - Homogeneous (same throughout) mixture whose components cannot be distinguished and can be classified as liquid, gaseous, solid, or a combination

PRECIPITATION crystals begin to precipitate (drop out) out of solution after a solution becomes supersaturated

Supersaturated - Overfilled

Liquid evaporating creates a supersaturated solution where the elements left behind begin to arrange into crystals

8 Most Common Elements in Earth’s Crust Oxygen (O) Calcium (Ca) Silicon (Si) Sodium (Na) Aluminum (Al) Magnesium (Mg) Iron (Fe) Potassium (K)

Silicates - Minerals containing Silicon and Oxygen

Silicates make up approximately 96% of the Minerals found in the Earth’s Crust

Silica Tetrahedron 3 -dimensional shape structured like a pyramid

O Si O O O Silica Tetrahedron

There are many combinations in which ions can bond with simple silica tetrahedron, this gives us our enormous diversity of silicate minerals

The Properties of are Minerals Determined by the INTERNAL ARRANGEMENT OF ATOMS

Carbonate minerals contain one or more metal elements + CO 3

Minerals made of a metal + oxygen atoms are called Oxides