MINERALS SECTION 3-1

7th Grade Science

Minerals A mineral is

Naturally occurringInorganic or not dead

materialSolidCrystal StructureDefinite chemical

composition

Not a mineral (coal)

Minerals Inorganic- material

was never part of an organism that was once living

Crystal- A repeating pattern of a minerals particles.

Not a mineral (coal)

Minerals Each Mineral has

characteristic properties that can be used to identify itColorStreak the color of

its powderLuster How light is

reflected from the minerals surface

MineralsDensity the amount

of “stuff” packed into a given area mass per unit volume

Hardness measured by Moh’s Hardness Scale a scale that ranks 10 minerals in order from softest (talc)to hardest (diamond)

MineralsCrystal SystemsCleavage where a

mineral splits along a flat surface

Fracture when a mineral breaks apart in an irregular way

MineralsSpecial properties

○ Magnetism○ Glowing○ Fluorescence○ Reactivity