MINERALS

OF THE
EARTH
 MINERALS
Minerals are the
building blocks of rocks.
They are non-living or
non-renewable
resources, solid, and
like all matter, are made
up of atoms of elements.
MINERALOGY
Is a science dealing with
minerals, their
crystallography,
properties, classification,
and the ways of
distinguishing them.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS
1.Naturally occurring
2.Solid in form
3.Inorganic
4.Has definite chemical
composition
5.Arranges atoms in a crystalline
pattern
 PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES OF A
MINERALS
LUSTER
It refers to the way light is
reflected from a mineral surface.
3 Types of Luster
a. Metallic Luster – minerals
that have the appearance of a
metal regardless of its color.
b. Submetallic Luster –
minerals with aa dull coating
or tarnish.
c. Non Metallic Luster –
minerals that are vitreous or
glassy.
COLOR
It is the result of the way minerals absorb
light. And it’s the most obvious property
to identify minerals easily. However, it is
commonly of limited use because many
minerals species have a variety of colors.
STREAK
• it is the color
of the
powdered
mineral when
scratched and
rubbed
against a
harder
HARDNESS
The
minerals’
ability to
resist
scratching
or
CLEAVAGE
Tendency of a
minerals to break
or cleave along
planes of weak
bonding. Minerals
have one, two,
three or more
directions of
cleavage.
FRACTURE
Refers to the
“breaking” of
minerals that do
not have cleavage.
Fracture is
described by terms
such as
conchoidal, jagged
or backly,
splintery, and
uneven.
DENSITY
Refers to the amount of matter in an object
or mass per unit volume expressed as grams
per cubic centimeter (g/cm)

SPECIFIC GRAVITY
the measure of relative density of a
mineral
Specific gravity = mass of mineral / mass
of equal volume of H2O
FORMATION
OF MINERALS
SUBLIMATION
This process is comparatively
rare. The only common
example of sublimation is in
relation to volcanoes.
Dry Ice
AQUEOUS SOLUTION
This is the source of important
minerals. Dissolved material may be
precipitated from solution by several
processes:
1.Evaporation of the solvent
2.Decrease in temperature and
pressure Halite
3.Loss of carbon dioxide
CRYSTALLIZATION FROM MAGMA
Some minerals form when
molten rock called magma
below a planet’s surface and
lava above, cools and atoms
bond together into mineral
crystals. Granite
CONTACT METAMORPHISM

Adjacent to the ascending

magma, the country rock
may be profoundly changed
by the heat and by chemical
reaction with a magma.
CLASSIFICATION
OF MINERALS
SILICATES
Silicon and oxygen are the two most common elements
in the Earth’s crust. Minerals that contain a
combination of these two elements are called silicate
minerals. Silicon and oxygen are usually combine with
other elements, such as aluminum, iron, magnesium,
and potassium to make up silicate materials.
Silicate minerals can be divided into two groups;
ferromagnesian silicates and nonferromagnesian
silicates. Ferromagnesian silicates have a great
density and a darker color than the other silicates
because of the presence of the metal ions while the
nonferromagnesian silicates have aa light color and a
low density
FERROMAGNISIAN EXAMPLE

OLIVINE Pyroxene
NON-FERROMAGNISIAN EXAMPLE

MUSCOVIT
E
NON SILICATES
Minerals that do not contain a combination of the elements silicon and
oxygen.
Categories of Non Silicate Minerals
1. Native elements – minerals that are combined with only one element.
2. Carbonates – minerals that contain combinations of carbon and
oxygen in their chemical structure.
3. Halides – compounds that form when atoms of the elements fluorine,
chlorine, iodine or bromine combine with sodium, potassium or calcium.
4. Oxides – compounds that form when an element, such as aluminum or
iron, combines chemically with oxygen.
5. Sulfates – these minerals contain sulfur and oxygen. The mineral
gypsum is a common sulfate
6. Sulfides – these minerals contain one or more elements, such as lead,
iron, or nickel, combined with sulfur.
 NON SILICATES
NATIVE SULFIDES
ELEMENT
Oxides

GOLD
PYRITE

Carbonates
Sulfates

FLOURITE

CALCITE HEMATITE
SOME OF THE COMMON MINERALS AND THEIR USES
Asbestos – this mineral can be stung into thin, strong fibers
that are flexible, heat resistant and chemically inert.
Beryl – used in a nuclear power, fluorescent lamps, x-ray tubes
and strong alloys used in aircrafts.
Calcite – uses include animal feed, antacids chemical industry,
dough strengthener, decorative stone in buildings, building
construction and many more.
Copper – used in electric cables and wires, switches, plumbing,
roofing and building construction, chemical and pharmaceutical
machinery and cooking utensils.
Diamond – used I cutting tools; blades, saws and also beautiful
gemstones in jewelry.
Fluorite – used in production of hydrofluoric acid and is used in
pottery, ceramics, optics, electroplating and plastics.
Gold – used in dentistry and medicine, jewelry and arts
and in medallions and coins for scientific and electronic
instruments.
Graphite – used in pencils and as lubricants for
machinery.
Gypsum – used as prefabricated, wallboard, Plaster of
Paris, cement manufacture and agricultural purposes as
fertilizer and soil conditioner.
Halite – used for food seasoning and food preservation
and making acids, soap manufacture, fire
extinguishing, mouthwash and medicinal purposes.
Iron Ore, Primarily Hematite and Magnetite –
used in manufacture of steel of various types.
Mica – used in electronic insulators, ground up in paint,
Pyrite – used in manufacture of sulfur, sulfuric acid, and
sulfur dioxide.
Quartz – used as gems with numerous varieties. Used to
make sand paper, ceramics, pressure gauges, heat-ray
lamps, spectrographic lenses, glass and even in high-tech
items like radios, TVs, clocks, watches and computers.
Silver – uses include photography, chemistry, jewelry,
electronics, chemical reaction vessels, mirrors, electronic
conductors, batteries, dental, medical, scientific
equipment, magnet windings and solder.
Sulfur – used for fungicides, sulfuric acid, explosives, kills
bacteria, vulcanizes, used in coal and fuels and fertilizers.
Talc – used as baby powder, soapstone, and in gymnastics
to grip the bars.
Wavellite – used for fertilizer and jewelry.