Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
What is a Mineral?
A naturally
occurring,
inorganic solid
that has a
definite
chemical
composition
and/or crystal
structure
Sachikanta Nanda
Mineral Properties
Each type of mineral has its own combination of properties that identify it. Some
of the properties are
Color
Many minerals come in a wide variety of colors. Different minerals can be the
same color. It is difficult to use just color to identify a mineral.
Streak
Streak is the color of a mineral in powdered form. You can see a minerals streak by
rubbing a sample across an unglazed ceramic plate and observing the powder left
behind. Sometimes a minerals streak is very different from the color of the
sample.
Hardness
Hardness is the resistance of a mineral to scratching. Geologists use the Mohs'
hardness scale to seriate and compare mineral hardness.
Sachikanta Nanda
Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a given volume of a mineral to the weight
of an equal volume of water. Higher specific gravity means the mineral is heavier.
Cleavage
Cleavage is how a mineral breaks. Some minerals break in smooth, flat surfaces at
identifiable angles, such as calcite. Others fracture and produce no flat surfaces,
such as quartz.
Fracture
Fracture is how a mineral breaks when no cleavage surfaces form. For example,
quartz breaks in a pattern known as conchoidal fracture. Conchoidal fracture looks
like smooth, curved surfaces.
Luster
Luster is how a mineral reflects light or how it shines. Some ways to describe luster
include glassy or vitreous, metallic, dull, and pearly.
Sachikanta Nanda
Crystal form
Crystal form describes the geometric shape of a crystal. There are seven main
groups of crystal shapes, including cubic, hexagonal, and tetrahedral.
Transparency
Transparency describes how a mineral transmits light. Some minerals are
transparent (you can see through them); others are translucent (some light passes
through a sample) or opaque (no light passes through a sample).
Magnetism
Magnetism is a special property of some minerals, especially magnetite. Samples
are attracted by a magnet. Lodestone, a special form of magnetite, is a magnet
itself.
Reaction to acid
Some minerals react to acid. Calcite especially will fizz and bubble when it comes
in contact with an acid such as hydrochloric acid at room temperature.
Sachikanta Nanda
Identifying Minerals
Physical
Properties are
used to identify
minerals:
Color- always a
reliable way to
identify minerals.
However, color
can change do to
pollution, heat,
and cold
Sachikanta Nanda
Types
Idiochromatics:-Fairly constant colour(Copper Group of
minerals)
Sachikanta Nanda
Luster
The way a mineral
reflects light from
its surface
Non-metallic
luster:
Dont have much
of a reflection;
known as glassy,
pearly, and dull
Sachikanta Nanda
Streak
Color of powder
scraped off when
it is rubbed
against a hard,
rough surface
Streak may be a
different color
than the mineral
itself.
Sachikanta Nanda
Sachikanta Nanda
Hardness
The ability to resist
being scratched
Most useful
properties for
identifying a mineral
Numbered 1-10.
1-Talc-softest
10-Diamondhardneest
Sachikanta Nanda
Sachikanta Nanda
Sachikanta Nanda
Fracture
Even: Broken srface is
smooth-Chert
Uneven: Broken surface
is irregular surfaceFluorite
Conchoidal: Broken
surface is having
concentric rings with
faint outline-Quartz
Sachikanta Nanda
Tenacity
(Behaviour towards Break, bend, cut or crush)
Sectile: Cut with a knife
Sachikanta Nanda
Crystal Shape
Minerals have a crystal
shape that results
from the way the
atoms or molecules
come together as the
mineral is forming
Sachikanta Nanda
Structure of a Mineral
(Physical make up of a mineral)
Tabular: Mineral in the form of flattened,
square, rectangle (Calcite, orthoclase, barite)
Elongated: Mineral is in the form of a thin or
thick elongated, column-like crystals. (Beryl,
Quartz, Hornblende)
Bladed: Mineral appears to be composed of
thin, flat , bladed like overlapping. (Kyanite)
Lamellar: Mineral made up of relatively thick,
flexible, leaf-like sheets.(Vermiculite)
Sachikanta Nanda
Sachikanta Nanda
Special Properties
Magnetite: Naturally
magnetic
Halite:
Tastes salty
Sulfur:
Smells like rotten eggs
Sachikanta Nanda
Sachikanta Nanda
Some minerals
Quartz
Feldspar
Fluorite
Magnetite
Hornblende
Gypsum
Calcite
Biotite
Copper
Hematite
Sachikanta Nanda
GROUPS
Silicate
Pyroxene
Amphibole
Mica
Feldspar
olivine
Sachikanta Nanda
Alpha Quartz or High Quartz (describes Quartz
stable at normal room conditions
Environment : develops in a wide variety of
environments, igneous, metamorphic,
hydrothermal
Physical Properties of
Clear Quartz
Hardness: 7.0 on Moh's Scale
Index of refraction: 1.5441.553
Birefringence: 0.009
Streak: White
Spec. Grav.: 2.5 - 2.7
Crystal: Hexagonal (prisms,
pyramidal)
Fracture: Conchoidal
Cleavage : none
Tenacity: Brittle
In Group: Silicates;
Tectosiliates; Silica Group: or
as an oxide by a few
references
Other Names: Silica (describes
Quartz, Chalcedony, and Opal)
Varieties of Quartz
Other than Clear Quartz, Quartz occurs as
Amethyst, Aventurine, Citrine, Carnelian,
Herkimer Diamonds, Jasper, Onyx, Rose Quartz,
Rutilated Quartz, Smoky Quartz and
Tourmalinated Herkimer Diamonds are Quartz
crystals with double terminations and
Tourmalinated Quartz contains hairs of
Tourmaline crystals, but both are minor Quartz
family members.
Sachikanta Nanda
Quartz Calcite
Comments: Purple-colored druse of amethystine quartz and white calcite.
Location: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Scale: Sample size 20 cm.
Quartz Chalcopyrite
Comments: Well-formed crystals of chalcopyrite and quartz.
Location: Boldut mine, 61 level (350 meters deep), Cavnic, Maramures,
Rumania. Scale: 5.5 x 3.5 cm.
Quartz Ilvaite
Comments: Black, prismatic ilvaite with quartz.
Location: First Sovietskij mine, Dalnjegorsk, Russia. Scale: 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
Sachikanta Nanda
Images:
Quartz
Comments: Crystal druse of transparent quartz crystals.
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA. Scale: Specimen size 6 cm.
Images:
Quartz Apatite-(CaF)
Comments: Purple crystal of fluorapatite on slightly smoky quartz crystals. Former Dr. E.E. David and
Houston Museum collections.
Location: Pech, Kunar Province, Nuristan, Afghanistan. Scale: Crystal size 3.0 x 2.1 x 1.7 cm.
Images:
Quartz Epistilbite
Comments: White epistilbite cluster 25 mm across on amethyst quartz crystal matrix.
Location: Sawda, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India. Scale: 10x8x5 cm.
Images:
Quartz
Comments: Slightly smokey quartz overgrown with rose quartz. Note the exceptional transparency of
the rose quartz.
Location: Lavra da Ilha, Taquaral, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Scale: 10 cm by 5.2 cm.
Sachikanta Nanda
Feldspar
KAlSi3O8 - Orthoclase
KAlSi3O8 - Microcline
NaAlSi3O8 - CaAl2Si2O8 - Plagioclase
Sachikanta Nanda
Colour
Sachikanta Nanda
Hardness
6-6.5
Environment
The feldspars make up the major constituent of many
igneous and metamorphic rocks, they form at medium to
high temperature and at some depth. Microcline can form
in granite pegmatites and at lower temperatures.
Associated
Quartz
Other feldspars
Hornblende
Sachikanta Nanda
Composition: K Al Si3O8
Sachikanta Nanda
classification
Potash feldspar:
Orthoclase
Sanidine
microcline
Sodalime-feldspar:
Albite
Oligoclase
Andesine
Crystallographically:
monoclinic
Orthoclase
Sanidine
Triclinic
Microcline
Sachikanta Nanda
Albite-anorthite
labradorite
Bytwonite
anorthite
Sachikanta Nanda