Download Mighty Minerals

Goal 1
Students will be understand what a
mineral is.
Fascinating Fact
The elements oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron,
magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium
make up 99 percent of all minerals on Earth.
quartz
GRANITE
hornblende
plagioclase
feldspar
Minerals make up
biotite mica rocks.
Why do we care about minerals?
Take a look around
you!
Theyhand
haveiftoyou
come
Raise your
have a(n):
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Television
iPod
Minerals are used
Computer
Microwave
to make practically
Bicycle
Refrigerator
everything!
Cell phone
3 or more cell phones in the past year
from somewhere!
And they are a
NON-renewable
resource!
What is a mineral?
A mineral is any naturally occurring,
solid, inorganic substance
characterized by an exact crystal
structure.
Minerals are the building blocks
of rocks
To be called a mineral it must
have the following 5
characteristics:
Two Groups of Minerals
Minerals are divided into two groups
based on their chemical composition:
Silicate Minerals
Nonsilicate Minerals
The environment during crystallization
and the chemical composition of molten
rock determine which minerals are
produced.
1. Silicate Minerals
A mineral that contains a
combination of silicon, oxygen, and
one or more metals.
Make up over 90% of the Earth’s
crust.
Feldspar
Quartz
2. Nonsilicate Minerals
A mineral that does not contain
compounds of silicon and oxygen.
Gypsum
Copper
Galena
Mineral characteristic #1
occurs naturally
not artificial or manmade
Mineral characteristic #2
Solid
not a liquid or a gas
Platinum
(It might take two billion tons of
ore to produce one pound of
platinum!)
Mineral characteristic #3
Definite chemical
composition
Some minerals like gold
or silver are made of
only one element. (A
substance such as iron,
oxygen, and gold which
cannot be separated or
broken down by ordinary
chemical methods)
Other minerals, like
quartz and calcite, are
combinations of two or
more elements.
Mineral characteristic #4
atoms arranged in an
orderly pattern
Minerals are usually
solid crystals. They
have a number of flat
surfaces in an orderly
arrangement. For
example, a crystal of
quartz is always
hexagonal because of
the way the atoms of
silicon and oxygen join
together.
Mineral characteristic #5
Inorganic - not
alive and never
alive
SNIFE
Solid
Not Liquid or Gas or Plasma
Naturally Occurring
Not Human-Made
Inorganic
Not Alive - Never Was
Fixed Composition
Same Recipe, Everywhere, Every Time
Element or Compound
Not a Mixture
Is this a Mineral?
Are plastic
materials such as
bottles
considered
minerals?
Why/Why not?
Is this a Mineral?
Are plastic
materials such as
bottles considered
minerals?
Why/Why not?
NO!
-Plastic is a man
made substance.
Is this a Mineral?
Is water ,
pictured to the
left, considered a
mineral?
Why/Why Not?
Is this a Mineral?
Is water ,
pictured to the
left, considered a
mineral?
Why/Why Not?
No!
Liquids are not
minerals, only
solids can be
considered
minerals.
Is this a Mineral?
Is ice considered
a mineral?
Why/Why not?
Is this a Mineral?
Is ice considered
a mineral?
Why/Why not?
Yes!
Ice is considered
a mineral.
Is this a Mineral?
Is wood
considered a
mineral?
Why/Why not?
Is this a Mineral?
Is wood
considered a
mineral?
Why/Why not?
NO!
-Wood come from
trees, that are
alive.
Is this a Mineral?
Are diamonds
considered
minerals?
Why/Why not?
Is this a Mineral?
Are diamonds
considered
minerals?
Why/Why not?
Yes!