2. You have probably heard the word mineral before. Well,
what are minerals? Some might say rocks, others might say
gems, and both would be correct. Minerals are substances
that:
1. Has a crystalline structure
2. Are naturally occurring
3. Are nonliving
4. Are solids
3. There are two groups of minerals, the silicate and non-silicate.
They are separated by their chemical composition.
Silicates contain oxygen and silicon, the two most abundant
elements in the Earth’s crust.
About 90% of minerals are silicate.
Most silicate minerals are a combination of an element mixed with
silicon and oxygen.
+ =
4. Quartz – primary mineral that is in many rocks.
Mica – minerals that separate into sheets.
Feldspar – group of minerals that make up most of the Earth’s
crust.
Olivine – common mineral in Earth’s subsurface.
5. Non-silicate minerals are minerals that do not have a
combination of oxygen and silicon in them.
Non-silicate minerals include some elements.
Non-silicate minerals are less common in the Earth’s crust
than silicate minerals.
X X
6. Native Elements: composed of one element. Copper, gold, silver, graphite,
etc.
Carbonates: contains combination of carbon and oxygen. Calcite, magnesite,
etc.
Halides: compounds formed when fluorine, chlorine, iodine, or bromine
mixes with sodium, potassium, or calcium. Fluorite, halite, etc.
Oxides: compounds formed when an element is chemically combined with
oxygen. Ice, magnetite, corundum, etc.
Note: Images are in the order in which they were listed in.
7. Sulfates: minerals that have sulfur and oxygen in them. Gypsum, barite, etc.
Sulfides: minerals that contain one or more elements. Galena, cobaltite, etc.
