CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS AND THEIR PROPERTIES.ppt

CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

2. WHAT IS A MINERAL?
A MINERAL IS A:
SOLID
NATURALLY OCCURING (made up
of elements)
INORGANIC
CRYSTAL SHAPE (unique to the
mineral)
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
(elements bond together to make a
compound)

3. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
Naturally Occurring = NOT man-made
Inorganic = NOT made of/from a living thing
Crystal Shape = Repeating pattern of atoms
Chemical Composition = chemical formula
Ex: Quartz has a chemical formula of SiO
2

4. NOT A MINERAL?
COAL IS NOT A
MINERAL, WHY?
It is not inorganic
because it formed
from the remains of
living organisms
It does not have a
crystal shape

5. NOT A MINERAL?
PEARL IS ALSO NOT A MINERAL, WHY?
Pearls are organic
because they are
made from
oysters.
They do not have a
crystal shape

6. NOT A MINERAL?
GLASS IS ALSO NOT A MINERAL, WHY?
Glass does not
a crystal shape.

7. NOT A MINERAL?
STEEL IS ALSO NOT A MINERAL, WHY?
1: It is man-made (not naturally occurring)
2: It does not have a chemical composition
because it is a mixture of iron and carbon
3: It does not have a crystal shape

8. “Diamonds are Forever” Reading
Before you Read:
Review the definition of a mineral (SNICC)
After you Read:
Answer these questions:
○Can the LifeGem diamonds be considered true minerals?
Explain your answer.
○How are these diamonds different than diamonds mined
out of the ground?
○Would you want to use this company for yourself or for a
relative?

9. TWO GROUPS OF MINERALS
Silicate Minerals
Nonsilicate Minerals
•Have both Silicon (Si) and
Oxygen (O) elements in them
•Make up more than 90% of
Earth’s crust
•Might have other elements in
them as well
•Examples: Quartz (SiO2)
Talc Mg3Si4O10(OH)2
•Do NOT contain Silicon and
Oxygen
• Dividing into different classes
depending on elements in them
•Examples: Copper (Cu)
Calcite (CaCO3)
Galena (PbS)
http://www.mineralogy4kids.org/groups.html

10. What Are Properties of Minerals???

11. 1. COLOR
Not reliable due to:
Impurities
Many minerals have same color
Some minerals have more than one
color

12. COLORS OF FLUORITE
  
         
  
            
  
             
  
             

13. 2. HARDNESS
The ability of a mineral to resist
being scratched.
Relative to the hardness of other
minerals and objects
2 scales
Field hardness scale
Moh’s hardness scale

14. HARDNESS
FIELD HARDNESS
SCALE
Fingernail
Copper Penny
Steel Nail
Glass Plate
Steel File
  
                       

15. MOH’S HARDNESS SCALE
1.Talc
2.Gypsum
3.Calcite
4.Fluorite
5.Apatite
6.Feldspar
7.Quartz
8.Topaz
9.Corundum
10.Diamond

16. 3. LUSTER
The way a mineral reflects light
Either Metallic or Nonmetallic
Never described as “shiny” (that is
what luster means)

17. METALLIC
LUSTERS
Shines like a metal:
Chrome, Silver, Copper,
Gold, Bronze, Lead, etc.

18. NONMETALLIC LUSTERS
Brilliant (High Shine/Sparkly)
Pearly or Silky
Glassy(Vitreous)
Waxy/Greasy
Dull
Earthy

19. 4. STREAK
Powdered residue left behind when
rubbed across a porcelain tile
Only works for minerals with a hardness
less than 7 (tile=7)
Streak may be different than outer color
More consistent/reliable than color

20. 5. CLEAVAGE
The breaking of a mineral
along flat surfaces
Can be 1,2, or 3 directional
3 Directions: Similar to
sides of a cube or rhombus
Mica breaks into single sheets- 1 Directional

21. 6. FRACTURE
Breaking of a mineral
in an uneven or
jagged fashion
“Splintery”-splits like
wood
“Earthy”/Uneven
“Conchoidal”-curved
“Fibrous”- like fibers

22. 7. DENSITY
= Mass per volume (g/mL)
Every mineral has its own
unique density, regardless of its
size
○Ex: The density of any piece of gold
will always be 19 g/mL
The density of any piece of silver
will always be 10.5 g/mL

23. 8. CRYSTAL SHAPE
Microscopic shape of crystals
Slow cooling = larger crystals
Fast cooling = smaller crystals
Cubic, Hexagonal, Octagonal,
Rhomboid, Trapezoidal, etc

24. 9. SPECIAL PROPERTIES
Magnetism (lodestone/magnetite)
Taste (Halite-salty)
Acid reaction (calcite)
Double refraction
Fluorescence (glow in UV)
Phosphorescence (glow continues)
Odor (Sulfur)
Radioactivity (Uraninite)

25. ScienceNow Diamond Factory
Diamond Factory Video
(click on “Watch Diamond Factory”)