Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic crystalline solids with definite chemical compositions and physical properties. Scientists have discovered over 2,400 minerals in the world, with around 12 minerals making up 90% of all rocks. Minerals can be identified based on their physical properties such as color, luster, hardness, cleavage or fracture pattern, crystal formation, streak, and specific gravity.

1. Minerals By: Rabbi Goldberg

2. Introduction The lithosphere is made of one or more naturally formed materials called ROCK. All Rocks are made up minerals Monominerelic – made up of one mineral Polymineralic- a rock made up of more than one mineral One Mineral

3. Minerals Minerals Are naturally occurring, inorganic crystalline solid materials with definite chemical composition, structure, and specific physical properties

4. Scientist have discovered over 2,400 minerals in the world. Around 12 of them make up 90% of all the rocks These minerals are nicknamed rockformers.

5. Characteristics of minerals in rocks Minerals can be made up of one element or more than more element The most abundant ( plenty of ) element is oxygen with silicon coming in #2

6. How can we tell what type of mineral were are looking at? Minerals are identified based upon physical and chemical properties Color Luster Cleavage vs fracture Streak Crystal form Etc…….

7. Color The outside color of the mineral can help identify very few minerals. Such as Sulfur This is most minerals have more than one color and very few have a distinct color

8. Hardness Hardeness- is the resitence of a mineral being scratched Hard mineral will make a mark on a softer mineral

9. Hardness continued Moh’ Scale of Hardness List 10 minerals from soft to the hardest #1 is talc with is the softect mineral #10 is diamonds which is the hardest mineral By using this list we can determine which minerals will scratch the other

10. Hardness continued For example if a mineral cant scratch quartz but can scratch feldspar What number of harness is it? Answer is ______ 6.5

11. Streak Is the color of powder of a mineral when it is either crushed or scratched on on a streak plate The color of the mineral might be different then the color of the streak

12. Luster Luster If you would look at the mineral in light what type reflection would it give off It might shine like metal and therefore would have a metallic luster OR it might not shine like metal and therefore would be called non metallic luster

13. Cleavage vs. Fracture Lets say I would break a mineral If the mineral breaks with smooth edges or surfaces it is said to have _______________ If the mineral has jaggered or rough surface by the break then it is said to be _______________. cleavage fractured cleavage fractured

14. Crystal formation This depends on the atomic structure of the mineral Is the mineral formed under the amount of pressure Two mineral with similar properties can be distinguished by their crystal formation

15. Specific gravity The ratio of the weight of a mineral to equal volume of water A mineral with specific gravity 3.0 will be 3x heavier then the equal volume of water Specific gravity = density

16. Special Properties Some mineral have special properties Calcite will bubble carbon dioxide when dropped in hydrochloric acid Halite – tastes salty Magnetite – is magnetic

17. Mineral Properties Minerals are crystalline The atoms inside are bonded in a particular way Two mineral with the same chemical composition (make up) CAN HAVE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES Graphite and diamonds are both chemically made up the same materials Diamonds are under extreme pressure and therefore their crystalline composition is closer together and stronger than graphite