chapter 1: minerals of the earth’s crust. what is a mineral? a mineral has 4 characteristics:...
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Chapter 1:
Minerals of the Earth’s
Crust
What is a Mineral?A Mineral has 4 Characteristics:
• Solid•Crystalline Structure•Non-Living• Formed by Nature (not man made)
What is a Mineral Made out of?Atoms - smallest particle that can exist of a
substance
Elements - a pure substance that cannot easily be broken down
Compounds - different elements combine to form larger substances
Crystals - solid, geometric forms of minerals created by a repeating pattern of atoms
Minerals
• Most minerals can be classified based upon their chemical composition (the chemicals that make them up)
• Ex: Sodium (Na+) and Chlorine (Cl-) form a compound called Sodium Chloride (NaCl) which is a mineral called Halite or table salt.
• Minerals can be divided into 2 major groups:
1. silicate minerals 2. nonsilicate minerals
• Made of silicon and oxygen
• 90% of Earth’s crust
Examples:–Feldspars –Biotite Mica–Quartz
• Feldspars - Most abundant surface rock, made up about 50 to 60% of Earth’s crust
• Biotite Mica – Shiny & soft, separate into sheets when they break
• Quartz – Basic building block of many rocks, crystal looking
**Can one rock contain all of these minerals? YES or NO
• Do not contain silicon and oxygen
Examples include: • Native elements- (Copper, gold, silver, platinum,
diamond)•
• Carbonates- (cement & fireworks)
• Halides- (detergents)
• Oxides- (aircraft parts & paint)
• Sulfates – (cosmetics, toothpaste, paint)
• Sulfides- (batteries, medicine, electronics)
Identifying Minerals - Minerals can be
identified by…..their characteristics.• Color
• Luster• Streak• Cleavage• Fracture• Hardness – Mohs’ Scale 1-10, talc-diamond
• Density• Special Characteristics
• Minerals come in a variety of colors. Some colors are due to factors such as impurities and weather conditions.
Color
Amethyst
Luster
This is the way a mineral reflects thelight. A mineral’s luster can be: • Metallic (shiny)• Submetallic (a little shiny)• Nonmetallic (dull) • Vitreous (glassy)• Pearly (opalescent)
Metallic mineral
Semi-Metallic Mineral
Non-Metallic Minerals
Streak• This is the color a mineral
appears when it is rubbed against an unglazed piece of porcelain
Streak Test
• Cleavage: this is the way that a mineral breaks.
• Some minerals break into flat sheets, such as Mica, while others break in angles, such as diamonds
Fracture
• The tendency of some minerals to break unevenly along curved or irregular surfaces
• This is a mineral’s resistance to being scratched.
• Some minerals can be scratched easily, such as talc, while others are nearly impossible to scratch , such as diamonds.
Hardness
Density
• This is how much matter is in a given space. • Mineral’s densities vary, for
example: gold’s density is much greater than that of mica
Some minerals have special properties.
Identified by other characteristics such as…..
1. Fluorescence – glow under UV light
2. Chemical reaction – Fizzing when combined w/acid
3. Optical Properties – Calcite will cause double images
4. Radioactivity – Contain radium or uranium
5. Magnetism- attract iron
6. Taste – Salty, bitter, sour
Fluorescence
Mining
• Large enough deposit of an element to gain a profit is called an ore.
2 Types of Mining
1.) Surface Mining• Removal of minerals or
other materials at or near the Earth’s surface.
• Types of surface mines include: – Open pits– Strip mines– Quarries
• Materials mined in this way include copper ores and bauxite.
2.) Deep Mining (Subsurface)
• Drilling deep passageways below Earth’s surface to reach the ore.
• Diamonds and coal are mined this way. – Can be VERY
DANGEROUS!!!!
Products Made from Mining• MINERALMETALUSES
Mineral in
Ground
Metal turned
into
Product made
Chalcopyrite
copper coins, electrical wire
Galena lead batteries, paintBeryl beryllium bicycle frames,
airplanesChromite chromium stainless steel,
cast iron
Responsible Mining
•Mining can disturb habitats of plants and animals
•Waste products from the removal of the ore can also cause pollution
Reclamation• Reclamation – law since 1970 states that after
mining you must return land to its original state after the mining is completed.
• Very expensive and time consuming!
• Mining gives us the minerals we need, but it also creates problems.
– Can destroy or disturb the habitats of plants & animals.
– The waste products from a mine can get into water sources, polluting both surface water and ground water.
RECAP
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