Exploring Minerals: Formation, Classification, and Identification
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Presentation Transcript
DSL #27 Identify each statement as either True or False. • Fossil fuels formed millions of years ago from decayed plants and animals. • Most places have winds strong enough to generate electricity. • All minerals are solids, but not all solids are minerals. • The word crystalline means that atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern.
What is a Mineral? • Naturally-formed solid substance with a crystal structure Pyromorphite
What do all minerals have in common? • Formed by natural processes. • Are Inorganic • Have a unique chemical composition (makeup) • Have a crystalline shape- they have a definite volume and shape
How are Minerals classified or grouped? • 90 elements occur naturally in the Earth’s crust. • About 98% of the crust is made of only 8 of these elements • The most common minerals belong to the Silicates Beryl (Emerald) Amethyst Calcite
MICA Quartz
Silver Copper Ruby Diamond Gold Iron
How do minerals form? There are 2 ways that crystals form: • The cooling of hot, liquid rock called magma causes compounds to combine • Rapid Cooling = Small Crystals • Slow Cooling = Large crystals • The evaporation of water that has minerals dissolved in it
How do we identify Minerals? • We look at Physical Properties • These include: • Color/Appearance • Luster • Streak • Hardness • Cleavage/Fracture
Physical Properties of Minerals(can be used to identify the mineral) Color • Can be misleading • Many minerals will have a similar appearance, but will have different impurities
Physical Properties of Minerals(can be used to identify the mineral) Luster • Luster refers to the way a mineral reflects light • Metallic = shiny like metal • Non-metallic = dull, non-shiny surface Pyrite has a metallic luster Calcite has a non-metallic luster
Physical Properties of Minerals(can be used to identify the mineral) Streak • The color of the powdered form of the mineral • The color of the streak can be different than the mineral • Minerals must be softer than the streak plate
Streak…can help identify quartz BUT... http://www.childrensmuseum.org/geomysteries/cube/b3.html
Physical Properties of Minerals(can be used to identify the mineral) Hardness • How easily a mineral scratches materials • Mohs Hardness Scale • Scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest) • Test by seeing if the mineral can scratch different objects (like human fingernail, copper, penny, glass, steel file)
Physical Properties of Minerals(can be used to identify the mineral) Cleavage & Fracture • The way the mineral breaks • Cleavage—minerals break along smooth, flat surfaces and every fragment has the same general shape • Fracture—minerals that break at random with rough or jagged edges
1. 4. 3. 2. Cleavage or Fracture?
Physical Properties of Minerals(can be used to identify the mineral)
Review A naturally occurring solid with a crystal structure • What is a Mineral? • Name 2 things that all minerals have in common? • The mineral group, Silicates, is made up of what two elements? • How are minerals identified? Inorganic, Crystalline Structure, Formed Naturally, Unique Chemical Composition Oxygen and Silicon Color, Luster, Streak, Hardness, Cleavage, Fracture