What are the four requirements for a material to be classified as a mineral?

A substance must be a naturally occurring solid, formed by inorganic processes, with a characteristic crystal structure and a specific chemical composition. How do you differentiate between minerals? Six methods to tell minerals apart. Their chemical formula is specific to each mineral. The properties most often used to identify minerals are the quality and intensity of light reflected from the mineral, crystal form and habit of the mineral, hardness, tendency to break in preferred directions, color, and specific gravity or density. The luster types: is metallic, meaning that it looks like a polished metal surface. Some other kinds of luster you might encounter are vitreous, like that of glass; resinous, like that of resin; pearly, like that of pearl or greasy, as if the surface were covered by a film of oil. Crystal form: Consist of planar surfaces and crystal structure. Crystal habit: The growth of minerals that gives them their shape. This is the distinctive shape of a particular mineral. Hardness: A minerals resistance to scratching. This is determined by the crystal structure and by the strength of the bonds between atoms. Tendency to break in preferred directions: cleavage where fragments will be bounded by surfaces that are smooth and planar. A minerals color is determined by several factors, but the main determinant is a chemical composition. Color can be unreliable, especially on opaque minerals. It can be tested by doing a streak test. Minerals that have a high density, have closely packed atoms. Minerals with a low density, have less closely packed atoms. Differences between minerals and rocks
Rocks are collections of minerals (and sometimes other types of particles) stuck together or intergrown. Rocks usually consist of several different types of minerals, but sometimes they are made of just one type of mineral. In any case, a rock will contain many grains of the constituent mineral or minerals. Types of rocks: Igneous rocks: (named from the Latin ignis, meaning fire) form by the cooling and solidification of magma.

Magma: Molten rock underground.

Sedimentary rocks: Rocks that form under conditions of low pressure and low temperature near
the surface.

Metamorphic rocks: Rocks that have been altered by exposure to high temperature, high pressure,
or both.