Minerals - St. Maria Goretti

Minerals

by Cecelia Cortes

Open Ended

The first 90 elements of the periodic table are found on the Earth's crust. However, only a small number of these elements combine to make up the most common minerals of Earth. Name some of these elements that are found in minerals.

​The table shows the top 8 most common elements on the Earth's crust. Looking at the table, which elements are commonly seen in minerals? 

Poll

What is a mineral? Choose all characteristics that describe a mineral.

• inorganic

• naturally occurring

• with crystalline structure

• solid

• definite chemical composition

​Minerals are...

​What is the difference between rocks and minerals?

​Chemical Groups of Minerals

• ​Elements (Gold, Silver, Sulfur, Iron, etc.)

• ​Sulfides (Pyrites, Galena, Sphalerite, etc.)

• ​Halides (Halite, Fluorite, etc.)

• ​Oxides (Hematite, Ilmenite, etc.)

• ​Sulfates (Gypsum, Barite, Celestite, etc.)

• ​Carbonates (Calcite, Dolomite, Smithsonite, Siderite, etc.)

• ​Silicates (Quartz, Feldspar, etc.)

Open Ended

Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. How are minerals formed?

​The following criteria are required for mineral crystals to grow:

​

• The elements needed to make the mineral crystals must be present in sufficient abundance and

appropriate proportions.

• The physical and chemical conditions must be

favourable.

• There must be sufficient time for the atoms to

become arranged into a lattice.

​Minerals can also form in several other ways:

​• Precipitation from a solution (e.g., from hot water flowing

underground, or when evaporation concentrates ions in a lake or

inland sea)

• Precipitation from a gas (e.g., from vents releasing volcanic gases)

• Metamorphism: Solid minerals react with each other under high

pressures and temperatures, and new minerals are formed.

• Weathering: Minerals unstable at Earth’s surface are chemically

altered by surface processes.

• Organic formation: Organisms build shells (primarily of calcite or

aragonite), and teeth and bones (primarily of apatite)

Open Ended

Before looking into the chemical composition of minerals, geologists look into their observable properties first. What are these properties?

Open Ended

We deal with minerals everyday. Cite an example of material that contains a mineral. Specify the mineral found in that material and the group where it belongs then, describe the usage of the material.

Example: Pencil - Graphite - Element C - used for sketching, drawing, or writing