[M3] Minerals

• Minerals are the building blocks of rocks.
• Minerals - It is solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.
• Halite - It is a mineral found in salt
• solid - It has definite shape and volume.
• Graphite - It is a mineral found in pencil.
• Salt - It is also known as sodium chloride.
• Characteristics of Minerals:

  1. naturally occurring - term which identifies mineral as part of earth’s natural processes.
• Characteristics of Minerals:

  2. inorganic - means a substance is not a product of an organism.
• Characteristics of Minerals:

  3. homogeneous solid - minerals should have definite volume and rigid shape
• Characteristics of Minerals:

  4. definite chemical composition — represented by a chemical formula
• Characteristics of Minerals:

  5. orderly crystalline structure - atoms of minerals are arranged in an orderly and repeating pattern
• Properties of Minerals:

  Color - mineral’s color may change depending on the surface.
• Properties of Minerals:

  Streak - color of mineral in powdered form.
• Properties of Minerals:

  Hardness - minerals resistance to scratching
• 10 - Diamond
• 9 - Corundum
• 8 - Topaz
• 7 - Quartz
• 6 - Orthoclase
• 5 - Apatite
• 4 - Fluorite
• 3 - Calcite
• 2 - Gypsum
• 1 - Talc
• Properties of Minerals:

  Cleavage - mineral’s resistance to being broken and fracture
• Properties of Minerals:

  Crystalline structure or habit
• Properties of Minerals:

  Diaphaneity/amount of transparency - ability to allow light to pass through it. This is affected by chemical makeup of the mineral sample.
• Properties of Minerals:

  Luster - how light is reflected off a surface
• Properties of Minerals:

  Tenacity - describes the minerals reaction to stress
• Brittleness - a mineral turns into powder
• Malleability - a mineral can be flattened by pounding with a hammer
• Ductility - A mineral can be stretched into wire.
• Flexible but inelastic - Minerals are bent but they remain in the new position
• Flexible and elastic - Minerals are bent, and they bring back to their original position
• Properties of Minerals:

  Sectility - ability of minerals to be sliced by a knife.
• The Mohs scale was introduced in 1822.
• All true minerals can be drawn into wires - DUCTILITY
• Over all sheen of mineral - LUSTER
• A mineral can be hammered /flattened - MALLEABILITY
• A mineral can be cut by a knife - SECTILITY