Bell RingerPlease take out your copy of the Mineral Notes.

Please answer the following questions in your journal to the best of your ability.

1. What is a mineral?

2. Where do you find minerals?

3. What are they used for?

Minerals

What is a mineral?Textbook’s definition

A naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and definite chemical composition

What is a mineralList of Minerals

Our Definition

Something that is not man-made,

Was not formed from plants or animals

Has a repeating pattern from certain elements

Minerals must have these 5 things1. Naturally occurring- not man made

2. Inorganic- cannot form from once living things (plants/animals)

3. Solid- definite volume and shape

4. Crystal Structure- repeating pattern of minerals particles forming a crystal.

Minerals must have these 5 things

5. Definite Chemical Composition- always contains elements in precise proportions

Minerals must have these 5 things

Identifying MineralsThere are about 3,800 minerals so how can we tell them apart?

Azurite

Pyrite

Talc

Emerald

Identifying Minerals• Each mineral has characteristic properties that can be used to

identify it

1. Color- an easily observed physical property. Not enough information on its own.

Streak- The color of its powder. Use the streak test. The color of the mineral may vary but the streak does not.

Identifying Minerals

Luster-describes how light reflects from a minerals surface.

Identifying Minerals

Density- The mass in a given space. Use the water displacement method.

Density = Mass / Volume

Identifying Minerals

Hardness- Uses Mohs hardness scale. Ranges minerals from 1-10 for softest to hardest.

Uses a scratch test. A mineral can scratch any mineral softer than itself but can be scratched by any mineral that is harder

Identifying Minerals

Crystal Systems- classified into 6 groups based on the number and angle of the crystal faces

Identifying Minerals

Cleavage & Fracture- A mineral that splits easily along flat surfaces has cleavage. When the mineral breaks apart in an irregular way it has fracture

Identifying Minerals

Special Properties- Magnetism, fluorescence and ability to react with an acid.

Identifying Minerals

Bell RingerGood morning. Please take out your Mineral Notes and use them to answer the following questions in your science journal

1. Which characteristic property is tested by using the scratch test in minerals?

2. Why is color alone not the best property to identify minerals?

3. What are the three types of luster?

4. How do Geodes form?

How do minerals form?

How do you think a geode forms?

What is crystallization?

When water contains dissolved minerals seeps into a crack or hollow space inside a rock

Process where atoms arrange to form a material with a crystal structure

How do minerals formMinerals can form from magmas and lava or by crystallization of materials dissolved in water

Minerals from magma and lavaMinerals form as hot magma cools inside the crust or as lava hardens on the surface. When these liquids cools to a solid state they form crystals

Slow cooling in the mantle leads to large crystals.

Fast cooling on the surface leads to small crystals

Minerals from SolutionsElements and compounds can dissolve in water to form a mixture called a solution.

When elements and compounds that are dissolved in water leave a solution crystallization occurs.

The solution can evaporate leaving behind minerals that will crystallize. Or elements when cooling may leave the solution and crystallize to form minerals

Mineral Resources

What do you think this sample of Bauxite is used to make?

What do you think this sample of fluorite is used for?

Uses for Minerals Minerals are the source for gemstones, metals and other materials that we use to make many products

GemstonesA hard colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster.

Valued for their color, luster and how rare they are.

Bell RingerPlease take out your copy of the Mineral Notes and answer the following questions in your science journal.

1. What are the two ways that minerals are formed?

2. What is crystallization

3. How are large crystals formed?

4. How are small crystals formed?

Metals Metals are not as hard as gemstones but are useful in construction due to their flexibility.

Can be stretched into wire

Flattened into sheets

Molded into metal tools

Other useful mineralsPeople use materials from minerals in foods, medicines, fertilizers and building materials.

Producing Metals from MineralsTo produce metal from a mineral, a rock containing the mineral must be located through prospecting and mined, or removed from the ground.

Then the rock must be processed to extract the metal.

Producing Metals From MineralsA rock that contains a metal or other useful minerals that can be mined and sold at a profit is called an ore

Prospecting involves observing and studying rocks on the land surface by geologists to map the size and shape of an ore deposit.

Mining is when people dig up parts of the Earth to obtain valuable resources such as minerals.

Gold Mining

Conflict Minerals in Our everyday lives

SmeltingWhen an ore is mixed with other substances and then melted to separate the useful metal from other elements the ore contains

Further ProcessingAfter smelting additional processing is needed to remove impurities (Stuff you don’t want) from the metal.

Alloy is a solid mixture of two or more elements, at least 1 of which is a metal. (Ex. Steel)