Mineral Groups

Section 5.4

Mineral Groups1. Describe the characteristics of YOUR mineral:

Color, luster, metallic, dark/light, cleavage/fracture…

2. Sort the mineral flashcards into groups by their CHEMICAL FORMULA

3. On the white board, write similar CHARACTERISTICS that they all share.

4. List, describe each group, examples and characteristics

Which Elements Make up the Earth’s crust?the top 8

#1 Oxygen#2 Silicon#3 Aluminum#4 Iron#5 Calcium#6 Sodium#7 Potassium#8 Magnesium

Essential Question:

How can these 8 elements be the most abundant in the Earth’s crust?

Oxygen (a gas) and Silicon (a metalloid) are the #1 and #2 most abundant elements in the earth’s crust?

How can it be that…#1 element in Earth’s crust is OXYGEN (a gas) and

#2 element in Earth’s crust is SILICON (a metalloid)

And Earth’s crust is SOLID ?

The silicon-oxygen tetrahedron

(SiO4)- ion

• The largest group of minerals

(90% of all rock forming minerals are silicates!)

• Feldspar

(K,Ca,Na)AlSi3O8

• Quartz,

SiO2 silica sand

Silicates Group

The silicon-oxygen tetrahedron

(SiO4)- ion

Combines with

many +ions in many structures to form

many different silicate minerals.

Other Silicates

• Olivine (Mg, Fe)2SiO4

• Zircon ZrSiO4

• Topaz Al2SiO4(F,OH)2

• Beryl (emerald) Be3Al2Si6O18

• Mica KAl2(AlSi3)O10

• K Feldspar KAlSi3O8

• Talc Mg3Si4O10

Silicates are divided by color

Ferromagnesium

Iron or magnesium

metal

Non-ferromagnesium

Does NOT contain iron or magnesium

The CARBONATES

• Calcium carbonate CaCO3

• Calcite is pure calcium carbonate• Limestone• Dolomite

Halides• Halides contain chlorine, fluorine, bromine• F, Cl, Br, I• Common examples include salt (halite) NaCl

fluorite (our state mineral) CaF2

Oxides• Oxide minerals are made up of oxygen

and one or more metals.

• Hematite: is an iron oxide, of Fe2O3– Hematite is used in pigments and as an iron ore.

• Limonite, another iron oxide, Fe2O3 (nH2O)

Hematite Fe2O3

Fe3O4

Sulfides

• Sulfide minerals contain sulfur and a metal

• Pyrite: iron and sulfur FeS2– It is used in sulfuric acid, explosives, fertilizers and insecticides.

• Galena: lead and sulfur PbS– It is used in auto batteries, solder, ammunition, and paint.

Sulfates

Sulfate minerals contain sulfur and oxygen (SO4) combined with other elements.

• Common sulfate minerals include:

gypsum CaSO4 used in drywall and plaster of paris

barite BaSO4 used in paint, paper and textiles

Native Minerals

Mineral Group Specific gravityHigh or low

IF a silicate,Ferromagnesian or Non-ferromagnesian

1. CaCO3      

2. Cu2O      

3. FeCO3      

4. Al2O3      

5. SiO2      

6. PbS      

7. FeO2      

8. (Mg)2SiO4      

9. CaSO4      

10. BaSO4      

11. CaMg(CO3)2      

12. Fe3O4      

Bell work: (a.k.a.) the week in review

1. List 3 properties to identify minerals:

2. 90% of minerals contain this compund?

name this molecule

3. What is this mineral?

4. What’s the most abundant element in the earth’s crust?

5. How does cooling rate determine crystal SIZE?

5-4-3-2-1 Home work!

List the 5 characteristics of a mineral

Describe 4 factors and how they effect crystal size

Describe 3 ways that mineral form

Diagram 2 polymorph forms of carbon

Name the 1 most abundant mineral group in the earth’s crust