Minerals
MINERALS * Minerals - Naturally occurring * Inorganic * Solid substance * Definite chemical composition * Minerals have an ordered atomic arrangement
HOW MINERALS FORMED? * Crystallization from magma * Precipitation * Pressure and Temperature * Hydrothermal Solutions
PROPERTIES OF A MINERAL * Color - small amounts of different elements can give the same mineral different colors. * Hardness - is a measure of the resistance of a mineral to being scratched. -Mohs Scale – use to measure the hardness of a mineral. * Streak - is the color of a mineral in its powdered form. * Luster - is used to describe how light is reflected from the surface of a mineral. The basic distinction to be made is that of “metallic” versus “non-metallic”.
-Metallic Luster - Minerals exhibiting metallic luster look like metal, such as a silvery appearance or that of a flat piece of steel.
-Non-Metallic Luster
Vitreous: The luster of glass.
Resinous: The luster of resin.
Pearly: The luster of pearls.
Greasy: Looks like it is covered in a thin layer of oil.
Silky: The luster of silk.
Adamantine: A hard, brilliant luster. * Cleavage - tendency to break along FLAT, EVEN SURFACES. It can be in one, two or three directions. * Fracture - uneven breakage. * Specific Gravity- is the "heaviness" of a mineral.
SPECIAL PROPERTIES * Fluorescence - Some minerals will glow when placed under short-wave or long-wave ultraviolet rays. * Magnetism - Many iron minerals will produce an invisible magnetic force field “Lodestone”. * Magnet test- If there is a magnetic attraction between your mineral and a metal object, then the mineral has high iron content. The mineral magnetite will attract metal objects.
CLASSES AND ROCK FORMING MINERALS
* Silicates - The two most abundant elements in the crust of the Earth are oxygen and silicon. Together, these two elements combine to
HOW MINERALS FORMED? * Crystallization from magma * Precipitation * Pressure and Temperature * Hydrothermal Solutions
PROPERTIES OF A MINERAL * Color - small amounts of different elements can give the same mineral different colors. * Hardness - is a measure of the resistance of a mineral to being scratched. -Mohs Scale – use to measure the hardness of a mineral. * Streak - is the color of a mineral in its powdered form. * Luster - is used to describe how light is reflected from the surface of a mineral. The basic distinction to be made is that of “metallic” versus “non-metallic”.
-Metallic Luster - Minerals exhibiting metallic luster look like metal, such as a silvery appearance or that of a flat piece of steel.
-Non-Metallic Luster
Vitreous: The luster of glass.
Resinous: The luster of resin.
Pearly: The luster of pearls.
Greasy: Looks like it is covered in a thin layer of oil.
Silky: The luster of silk.
Adamantine: A hard, brilliant luster. * Cleavage - tendency to break along FLAT, EVEN SURFACES. It can be in one, two or three directions. * Fracture - uneven breakage. * Specific Gravity- is the "heaviness" of a mineral.
SPECIAL PROPERTIES * Fluorescence - Some minerals will glow when placed under short-wave or long-wave ultraviolet rays. * Magnetism - Many iron minerals will produce an invisible magnetic force field “Lodestone”. * Magnet test- If there is a magnetic attraction between your mineral and a metal object, then the mineral has high iron content. The mineral magnetite will attract metal objects.
CLASSES AND ROCK FORMING MINERALS
* Silicates - The two most abundant elements in the crust of the Earth are oxygen and silicon. Together, these two elements combine to