september 16, 2011 bellringer: write a poem about a rock or mineral
TRANSCRIPT
September 16, 2011
Bellringer:
Write a poem about a rock or mineral
Objectives and Agenda
Objective:
Determine how to identify a mineral by using physical characteristic tests
Agenda• Mineral video• Mineral Notes• Lab 8: Minerals
Minerals
What are minerals?
Naturally occurring, solid substances that are inorganic (not made from a living organism)
What are minerals made of?
• Some are made of pure elements ( gold, diamonds, graphite)
• Some have chemical formulas ( calcite CaCO3)
• Some are mixtures – no exact ratio ( feldspar, composed of
potassium, calcium, and or sodium)
Rock- Forming Minerals
• Minerals make up rocks
• Only a few minerals are found in most rocks.
• Most minerals are mostly composed of oxygen and silicon
Observable characteristics
• Color
• Luster– Metallic or non-metallic
• Crystal Structure
Testable characteristics
• Streak
• Hardness
• Cleavage and Fracture
Mineral Structure
basic unit is in the form of a tetrahedron, composed of four atoms of oxygen and one atom of silicon.
This unit can combine with itself or with other elements to form different minerals. These can be chains or sheets.
These different structures account for the differences in the physical properties of minerals.