MINERALS

There are 92 naturally occurring elements on earth but only eight elements make over 98% of the minerals on the Earth's crust. They are, in decreasing quantity, 1 oxygen, 2 silicon, 3 aluminum, 4 iron, 5 calcium, 6 sodium, 7 potassium, 8 magnesium. The graph above shows you the amounts of these elements in the Earth's crust. There are over 2000 minerals on Earth, but only 100 are commonly found. 30 minerals make up the majority of the rocks on Earth.

 MINERALS To be a mineral in the geological sense of the term, a substance must satisfy five conditions: 1. must be a crystalline solid. 2. must occur naturally. 3. must be inorganic. 4. must have a definite chemical composition. 5. must posses characteristic physical properties

Crystalline Solids
Crystallinity, the first criterion for a mineral, is an orderly arrangement of atoms. Describing a substance in which the atoms are arranged in a regular, repeating, orderly pattern.

Natural and Inorganic

Definite Chemical Composition

the chemical analysis of any sample of a given mineral will always produce the same ratio of elements. the composition of any mineral can be expressed in chemical formulas. eg. Quartz SiO2 Halite NaCl

Physical Properties of Minerals

LUSTER
it is the quality and intensity of light reflected from a surface of a mineral Metallic luster gives a substance the appearance of being made of metal. Metallic minerals shine like metals. Non metallic luster Non metallic minerals vary greatly in their appearance.

Non metallic Luster

Glassy/Vitreous luster gives a substance a glazed appearance, like glass or porcelain. Earthly luster resembles the surface of unglazed pottery; it is a common characteristic of various clay minerals. Minerals with an earthy luster look as though they are covered with dirt or dust. Pearly luster is iridescent, glows like a pearl. Greasy luster - looks like the mineral is covered with grease, the mineral definitely shines.

HARDNESS
describes the scratchability of minerals.

1. 2.

Talc Gypsum > FINGERNAIL 3. Calcite > COPPER COIN 4. Fluorite 5. Apatite > KNIFE BLADE > GLASS 6. Orthoclase Feldspar > File 7. Quartz 8. Topaz 9. Corundum 10. Diamond

In 1822 a German scientist by the name of Frederick Mohs set up a scale to determine the approximate hardness of minerals. He arranged the minerals in his scale from softest (Talc) to hardest (Diamond). The minerals get increasingly harder as you read down the scale, but they do not increase in hardness at a constant rate.

COLOR & STREAK

specimen of iron pyrite along with a streak plate showing the pyrite's streak.

 Color is the easiest of the properties to see, but it is not always the best way to identify a mineral. Many minerals have more than one color because of impurities that were present during the formation of the mineral. Quartz is an example of a mineral with many different colors. Quartz can be clear, white, blue, brown, and almost black. Amethyst is a quartz crystal with a purple color. The impurity that makes amethyst purple is manganese.

 In some minerals, color is a very useful property. > Muscovite mica is white or colorless > Most of the ferro-magnesian minerals like augite, hornblende, olivine and biotite are either green or black.

 Streak is a test used by a geologist to see the color of the mineral under the top layer or coating on the mineral. The mineral is rubbed on a "streak plate", which is a piece of porcelain. When the mineral is rubbed across the streak plate some of the mineral is broken off and ground into a powder. This allows the geologist to see under the outer layer which could have a different color due to the mineral being exposed to the atmosphere. When minerals are exposed to the atmosphere, gasses like oxygen can chemically combine with the mineral to change its outer color.

CLEAVAGE
it is the minerals tendency to split apart along certain preferred directions. some minerals have a tendency to split or crack along parallel or flat planes These planes along which the mineral breaks are called cleavage planes. If the mineral splits easily along these planes the mineral is then said to have perfect cleavage. (e.g. MICA)

 Feldspar is an example of a mineral with cleavage in more than one direction. Quartz shatters likes glass when struck with a hammer. It is a mineral that has no cleavage at all. A biotite mica splits into sheets that are perfectly parallel. They form because of weak and strong bonds between the mica layers. (see figure)

 A feldspar (see figure) breaks into two planes at consistent angles.

FRACTURE
Fracture is a mineral property related to cleavage. Fracture occurs when a mineral breaks at random lines instead of at consistent cleavage planes. Many minerals that have no cleavage or poor cleavage fracture easily. CONCHOIDAL FRACTURE - when minerals fracture in curved surfaces. These look rather like the inside of a clam shell. Conchoidal fracture is sometimes seen in quartz but is more common in non-crystalline substances, such as glass.

MAGNETISM

 Only two minerals on earth are magnetic. They both have high quantities of iron. Magnetite is one of the magnetic minerals and pyrrhotite is the other. Magnetite was used by ancient sailors for compasses. They would chip off needles of magnetite and float them on water and watch the needle point to the north.

THE IMPORTANT MINERALS

 Talc is a mineral that has perfect cleavage and a greasy or soapy feel. It is given the distinction of being number 1 on Mohs hardness scale. Talc is also called soapstone which is used by artists for sculptures. It can be ground up into talcum powder. Ground talc is also used to make crayons, paint, paper, and soap

 Calcite is pure calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is found in limestone and marble. It is the cementing agent that binds sediments together into sedimentary rocks. Marble is metamorphosed (changed by heat and pressure) limestone. The crystals formed from pure calcite are in the form of a perfect rhomboid. A rhomboid is a six-sided solid object in which the opposite sides are parallel.

 It has perfect cleavage in three directions. If you hit calcite with a hammer it will break into smaller but perfectly shaped rhomboids. Calcite is number two on Mohs hardness scale. It is the material that forms stalactites and stalagmites in caves. Calcite is used as a fertilizer, cement, chalk, building stone, and for the manufacture of optical instruments.

 Hematite is the most important source of iron ore in the world. The production of iron has been important to nations of the world for over 2500 years. Today the addition of other minerals to iron has lead to the production of steel which is vital to the economy of the major countries on Earth. Hematite has a red or black color but the streak is always red.

 The iron in the hematite turns red when it comes in contact with water and oxygen. In other words this rock is rusted!! Hematite has a metallic or earthy luster. The hardness of hematite is about 5 on Mohs hardness scale. It has no cleavage and breaks with an uneven fracture. The reddish landscape of Mars is due to the oxidized iron on its surface. This tells us that water and oxygen must have been present on Mars at one time.

 Magnetite is a mineral that has a very high iron content. Magnetite has a black or brownish-red color and a black streak. It has a hardness of about 6 on the Mohs hardness scale. It is one of two minerals in the world that is naturally magnetic. Magnetite is also known as lodestone. Magnetite is an important source of iron ore and occurs in many igneous rocks. There is a city in Russia by the name of Magnitogorsk that received its name because of the unusually high quantities and quality of magnetite found in the mountains surrounding the city.

 Galena is an important source of lead. Galena's chemical symbol is PbS, which is lead and sulfur. Galena may also contain silver. Lead was used in pencils and paint until it was found to be poisonous to humans . Today pencil "lead" is made of another mineral called graphite. Lead is used for fishing weights.

 Galena is an iron sulfide and the main source of lead. Galena usually occurs in cubic crystals. If you hit a specimen of galena with a hammer it will shatter into small perfect cubic crystals. It has a metallic luster and a black to dark gray color and streak. Galena has a hardness of about 2.5 on Mohs hardness scale which is about as hard as your finger nail.

 Augite is a greenish-black mineral that is found in many igneous rocks. It is found in many basic and ultra-basic igneous rocks such as gabbro and basalt. Augite has a hardness of 5-6.5 with a vitreous luster and a prismatic cleavage.

 Milky quartz is a common mineral that is found in many different types of rocks. The chemical formula is silicon oxide (SiO2). One type of quartz is easily identified by its hexagonal crystals, but quartz can also be found in a large mass. Quartz can be broken or weathered into the tiny pieces we know as sand. Quartz is a very hard mineral and in fact is the hardest of the common minerals. Quartz is number seven on the Mohs hardness scale.

 Quartz can be colored yellow, milky white, rose, smoky (brown or black), and the best known of the colored crystals amethyst, which is purple. Impurities in the rock at the time of formation causes the quartz crystal to have these different colors. Quartz is used by humans in producing optical instruments and electical devices. It is also used to make sandpaper and grinding tools.

 Quartz is also chemically stable, which means that it weathers very slowly. Quartz can be colored yellow, milky white, rose, smoky (brown or black), and the best known of the colored crystals amethyst, which is purple. Impurities in the rock at the time of formation causes the quartz crystal to have these different colors. Quartz is used by humans in producing optical instruments and electical devices. It is also used to make sandpaper and grinding tools.

 Pyrite is also known as iron sulfide. It is one of the most common minerals on the Earth's surface. Many people call pyrite "Fools Gold" because the crystal resemble gold in color.

 Pyrite is much harder than gold and it looses its glitter quickly when exposed to the air. In fact when it is rubbed on a streak plate the streak will be green to dark gray. Pyrite has a hardness of 6.5 on the Mohs hardness scale. Its cleavage is cubic or not distinct.

 Mica is a mineral that can be split into very thin sheets. These sheets can be so thin that 1000 can be layered into mica 1 inch high. Mica can be clear, black, green, red, yellow, and brown. Clear mica is called Muscovite because it is found near Moscow, Russia and was used as window glass in the Muscovite's homes.

 Muscovite contains water which helps to make it clear. Biotite mica is dark green to black in color because it contains iron and magnesium. It is used in the manufacturing of electronic and electrical devices.

 Hornblende is a mineral that contains magnesium, iron, silica and aluminum. Hornblende is black, brown and green in color. It occurs in crystals of many igneous rocks

 Feldspar is the most abundant mineral in rocks that are located at or near the earth's surface. Feldspar can have glassy white, blue, green, or red crystals. All feldspars contain silica and aluminum. When feldspars are exposed to the atmosphere they break down or weather easily

 When they are broken down, feldspar forms other minerals, many of which are clay minerals. Feldspars also contain potassium which is a major nutrient for plant growth. The clays formed by weathered feldspar are used by pottery manufacturing plants. Kaolinite is the highest quality of the feldspar clays used by potters. Feldspar is number 6 on the Mohs hardness scale.

 Orthoclase has a chemical make up of KAlSi3O8. Orthoclase is usually pink but can be white, grey, green, and pink.

 Plagioclase is a form of feldspar that has a chemical make up of NaAlSi3O8. Plagioclase is usually white but can also be grey and greenish white. This mineral was abundant in the Moon rock samples.

 Pyroxene is one of the three main minerals that makes up basalt. The most common pyroxenes are magnesium, calcium, and iron silicates. A common pyroxene is augite which is very abundant in many igneous rocks such as basalt and gabbro.

 Dolomite is both a mineral and a rock. Dolomite is a calcium-magnesium carbonate. It is very similar to calcite and limestone in its chemical make up. Dolomite is white or light pink in color. It has a hardness of 3.5 - 4 and only will react to acid when it is heated or in powdered form. Dolomite is used as a building stone and as a source of magnesium.

 The mineral graphite is very similar chemically to a diamond. Graphite and diamond are both pure carbon. The difference is the amount of heat and pressure that has been put onto the two minerals. Diamond is the hardest natural element on Earth with a hardness of 10 which is the maximum on the Mohs hardness scale.

 Graphite is a very soft mineral with a hardness between 1 and 2. Graphite has a black streak and was probably formed by the metamorphism of plant remains or by the crystallization of ancient magmas. Today graphite is used for "lead" in pencils. Lead is poisonous to humans and has not been used for many years in pencils. Graphite is also used in the paint industry.

 Kaolinite is a clay mineral which is formed by the weathering of feldspar. It is one of the most common minerals on Earth. Kaolinite can be found in all parts of the Earth. It is very soft with a hardness of 2-2.5.

 It has a color of white, pink or grey and a streak of white. The chemical make up is Al2 Si2 O5 (OH)4. Kaolinite is used in the ceramics industry for the production of clay products.