what are minerals?

• Native elements are minerals made of only one type of atom.
• A rock is a natural substance, a solid aggregate of one or more minerals.
• A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic substance that has a specific chemical composition and crystalline structure.
• Polymorphs are minerals with the same chemical composition but a different arrangement of atoms, resulting in different appearances and behaviors.
• Minerals can form crystals when a liquid is cooled slowly, allowing atoms to organize into regular patterns.
• Rapid cooling of a liquid mineral results in a random arrangement, forming a natural glass.
• Slower cooling of minerals leads to larger crystals with consistent angles between faces.
• The elemental composition of the Earth's crust includes: oxygen, silicon, aluminium, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
• Compounds are minerals made of two or more different types of atoms chemically bonded together.
• Examples of compounds include oxides (oxygen and other metals), sulphides (sulphur and other metals), carbonates (carbon, oxygen, and other metals), and silicates (silicon, oxygen, and other metals).
• silicates are the most common compound