ES - Minerals Lesson

ES - Minerals Lesson

98% of Earth's crust is made up of only 8 elements. The major elements found in Earth's crust are oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron.

Minerals

• A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid substance with a definite chemical composition and structure and can be identified based on specific chemical and physical properties.

Minerals:

• Formed by natural processes.

• NOT alive and NEVER were alive (inorganic)

• Have a definite volume and shape.

• are elements or compounds with a unique chemical makeup

• are made of atoms that are arranged in an orderly structure that is repeated over and over (called a crystal.) Atoms within the solid are arranged in a geometric pattern unique to the element.

Silicates

• Contain oxygen

• Most abundant group of minterals

• Examples: Quartz, Mica, feldspar

Non-silicates

• Make up only 5% of the Earth's crust

• Include some of the most important minerals

• Examples: iron, gold, copper, silver, diamonds, rubies

Sub groups of Non-Silicates

Carbonates

• Composed of carbonate compound CO3 (carbon and oxygen)

• examples: calcite and dolomite

Oxides

• Composed of oxygen and a metal

• examples: hematite and magnetite

Native Elements

• Single elements

• Gold (Au), Diamond (C), Silver (Ag)

How are minerals formed?

Crystallization by Cooling of Magma

• Fast Cooling = no crystals (crystals don't have time to build up and form)

• Medium cooling = small crystals

• slow cooling = large crystals (crystals have time to form and build up)

Crystallization by elements dissolved in liquids (usually water) - solution

• Halite (salt) form from evaporating sea water

You've finished this lesson!

Complete the practice questions on canvas to show what you learned.