minerals what is a mineral? naturally occurring, inorganic solid with an orderly crystalline...
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MINERALS
What is a mineral?
Naturally occurring, inorganic solid with an orderly crystalline structure and chemical composition
1. Naturally occurring = by natural geologic processes (ex: cooling of feldspars in magma) not man made; cubic zirconium)
2. Solid
3. Orderly, repetitive structure (in terms of arrangement of atoms; Opal or glass are not minerals for this reason).
4. Definite chemical composition (represented by chemical formulas like SiO2 )
5. Generally inorganic (not produced from living things; CaCO3 = calcium carbonate or Calcite is an exception; makes up shells of marine animals).
Mineral Formation
1. Crystallization from magma - Iron, magnesium, and calcium minerals 1st; then sodium, potassium, quartz minerals
2. Precipitation of solid mineral when water evaporates out.
3. Pressure and temperature - cause metamorphism = changes in pressure and temperature that allow minerals to migrate and react with each other in new ways --> form new minerals.
4. Hydrothermal Solutions - Hot mixture of dissolved substances
Physical Properties of Minerals
- depends on chemical composition and crystal composition • Color
• Streak
• Luster
• Density
•Hardness
• Crystal Form
• Cleavage/Fracture
Color: Helpful, but not nec. diagnostic; some minerals have a colored varieties
Corundum’s structure is the same. Trace amounts of different element produce a variety of colors. Red = Ruby; Blue = Sapphire
http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~eps2/wisc/jpeg/l8sj49.jpeg
Streak: color of mineral in powdered form
only useful for metallic minerals
hematite
Tested by…
Streak plate – rub mineral across white tile.
Streak not nec. Same as color.
Metallic Luster Galena Pyrite
(= like metal)
Non-Metallic Luster: (Vitreous = like glass)
Halite & Quartz
Luster = How mineral’s surface reflects light
Diamond (C)
Graphite (C)
Crystal Form: How atoms are arranged internally
Platy minerals = flat like sheets (ex. Muscovite)
Hexagonal = quartz
Calcite = rhomboid
Galina = cubes
Hardness: Resistance to being scratched
Can be scratched by glass, but not penny = Moh’s hardness of 4-6
Cleavage & Fracture: tendency of a mineral to break along flat, even surfaces
Cleavage: Minerals break along the planes of their weak bonds.
Perfect Cleavage = Micas (muscovite & biotite) = cleave along 1 plane. Results = sheets
Halite = 2 cleavage planes
Fracture: uneven breaking of mineral surface; conchoidal- no cleavage pattern
Cleavage
Reaction w/ acid
- will fizz in calcium minerals.
Calcite (CaCO3) = vigorous reaction on all surfaces
Dolomite (Ca,Mg)CO3= mild reaction on powder; scratch then add acid
Density = mass/volume (gm/cm3; typical range 2 to 8 gm/cm3)
Magnetism (magnetite) – Contains iron
Flourescence = Minerals give off wavelengths in U.V.