Minerals!!!!

An introduction to the world of minerals

Minerals• There are over 3,000 kinds of minerals, only

about 30 are common, the rest are rare.

Minerals-What are they?

• Minerals are the building blocks of rocks.

Minerals-What are they?

• Minerals can be rare and beautiful.

Minerals-What are they?

• Minerals can be useful in objects and for our health.

Minerals-Where are they found?• Minerals exist all over the world

Minerals-Where are they found?

• Minerals are formed as rocks or left behind after water has evaporated away.

Mineral Characteristics

• To be a mineral, the substance must have all of the five following characteristics:

Characteristics of a Mineral

1. All minerals are made naturally by the Earth.

Mineral Characteristics

2. Minerals are inorganic. They are not made by and do not contain living or once living things.

Mineral Characteristics

3. Minerals are always a solid.

YES!!!YES!!!

Mineral Characteristics

4. Minerals have an orderly arrangement of repeating atom patterns. (crystals)

Mineral Characteristics

• More Mineral shapes:

Mineral Characteristics

5. Minerals have a definite chemical composition. (a specific recipe)

For example, diamonds are always made of Carbon (C)

only.

Salt is always made of Sodium and Chloride (NaCl)

Mineral CharacteristicsA summary:

• Naturally formed

• Inorganic

• Solid

• Contains a repeating pattern of atoms

• Definite chemical composition

Am I a mineral???

A Review Quiz

1. Am I a mineral?

• A Glacier

2. Am I a mineral?

• A Gold Nugget

3. Am I a mineral?

• A Sea Shell

4. Am I a mineral?

• A Quartz Crystal

5. Am I a mineral?

• A Raindrop

6. Am I a mineral?

• A diamond still embedded in a rock

7. Am I a mineral?

• A Fossil

8. Am I a mineral?

• A lump of coal

9. Am I a mineral?

• Man-made diamonds

10. Am I a mineral?

• Iron Pyrite

(Fool’s Gold)

11. Am I a mineral?

• A Snowflake

12. Am I a mineral?

• An Ice Cube

Answers

1. Am I a mineral?

• A Glacier

• Yes!

2. Am I a mineral?

• A Gold Nugget

• Yes!

3. Am I a mineral?

• A Sea Shell

• No-made by a living thing

4. Am I a mineral?

• A Quartz Crystal

• Yes!

5. Am I a mineral?

• A Raindrop

• No-not a solid

6. Am I a mineral?

• A diamond still embedded in a rock

• Yes!

7. Am I a mineral?

• A Fossil

• No-was once a living thing

8. Am I a mineral?

• A lump of coal

• No-was once a living thing (plants)

9. Am I a mineral?

• Man-made diamonds

• No-not naturally made

10. Am I a mineral?

• Iron Pyrite

(Fool’s Gold)

Yes!

11. Am I a mineral?

• A Snowflake

• Yes!

12. Am I a mineral?

• An Ice Cube

• No-not naturally made

The End

Homework Corrections

5 characteristics shared by all minerals:

• Naturally formed

• Inorganic

• Solid

• Contains a repeating pattern of atoms

• Definite chemical composition

Salt

• MINERAL!

Cement

• Non-Mineral

• Man-Made

Wood

• Non-mineral

• Not inorganic (from a plant)

Copper

• MINERAL

Sugar

• Non-mineral

• From a plant (not inorganic)

Oxygen

• Non-mineral

• Not a solid

Silver

• MINERAL!

Snowflake

• MINERAL!

Seashell

• Non-mineral

• Made by an animal (not inorganic)

Raindrops

• Non-mineral

• Not a solid

Diamonds

• MINERAL!