12/4/2015

THINK TANK
In groups of three, think of words that you can
associate with the word MINERAL. Present your
answers using this map

MINERALS

MINERAL

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF ROCKS

Minerals

Naturally occurring

Inorganic substance

Homogenous solid

Definite chemical
composition (formula)

Orderly crystalline structure

Minerals

Any naturally occurring inorganic

solid that possesses an orderly
crystalline structure and can be
represented by a chemical formula
(Tarbuck, 2014).

Considered to be building blocks of

rocks

By products of chemical binding of

atoms and/or molecules

Or simply

Naturally occurring

Inorganic substances

Formed by natural geological

processes

Found naturally in the

ground

Those formed by human

intervention or in the laboratory
are not considered minerals (e.g.
synthetic diamonds, puwet ng
baso)

Not produced by
biological activities or
reactions

Exception to the rule is

calcium carbonate
(calcite) produced by
corals under the sea

12/4/2015

Solid substance

Defined chemical
composition

Solid at temperatures encountered

at Earths surface

Compositions can be expressed

as a single chemical formula

Ice is considered a mineral whereas

liquid water and water vapor are
not.

The only exception from the rule:

mercury

Can be elements (gold, sulfur,

diamond) or compounds of two
or more elements (calcite,
quartz)

Revealed by their crystalline

structure

Orderly crystalline
structure

Minerals are made up of

atoms

These atoms are

arranged in an orderly,
repetitive manner

Crystalline not
amorphous (without
form)

There are already 3,800

identified minerals here
on Earth.

Properties of Minerals

Properties of
Minerals

Optical Properties (color, streak, diaphaneity, luster)

Crystal shape or Habit

Mineral Strength (tenacity, hardness, cleavage, fracture)

Density and Specific gravity

Other mineral properties (effervescence, double refraction,

magnetism, odor, texture)

CHARACTERIZING MINERALS

12/4/2015

Luster

Optical Properties

The quality or appearance of

reflected light from a surface
of a mineral

Can be categorized into

metallic, submetallic and
nonmetallic

silky

pearly

satiny

greasy

waxy

resinous

metallic

earthy

vitreous

adamantine

gypsum

spharelite

waxy

resinous

12/4/2015

azurite

talc

quartz

magnetite

vitreous

pearly

vitreous

metallic

Diaphaneity

bauxite

alum

earthy

waxy

transparent

translucent

Both light and image

are visible through the
sample.

Light but not an image

is transmitted through
the sample.

The ability of a mineral to

transmit light

The degree of transparency or

opacity

Usually done by using a

flashlight

opaque
No light is transmitted.

12/4/2015

Color

The most conspicuous

characteristic of any mineral

Idiochromatic Mineral

Caused by the absorption, or

lack of absorption, of various
wavelengths of light

Minerals that occur in shades of

one particular color (can be
used as a diagnostic property)

Azurite is blue

Determined by the chemical

composition of a mineral

Malachite is green

Sulfur is yellow

However, the use of color for

characterizing minerals can be
misleading and ambiguous

Allochromatic Color

Tips when examining the

color of a mineral

Most minerals occur in a wide

range of colors due to
impurities caused by chemical
substitution or radiation

Use the simplest color names

If there are different shades of a particular color, describe

the shade

Quartz, for instance, occur in

different shades

Mention all the colors for minerals with iridescence and

variegated tarnish

12/4/2015

Streak

The color of the mineral in

powdered form

Obtained by rubbing a mineral

over a piece of unglazed
porcelain called the streak
plate

Metallic minerals have dark,

dense streak

Nonmetallic minerals leave

light-colored streak

Not all minerals can leave a

streak

Crystal Shape or Habit

Crystal Shape or
Habit

Refers to the common or characteristic shape of a crystal or

aggregate of crystals

Can be a regular geometric figure/polygons

Others may rarely exhibit or develop perfect geometric forms

Use the following terms to describe habit: equant

(equidimensional), bladed, fibrous, tabular, prismatic, blocky
and botryoidal

Basic Crystal Forms

12/4/2015

Mineral Strength

Mineral Strength

Tenacity

Refers to the ability of minerals

to be broken or deformed when
subjected to external forces

Depends on the chemical bonds

that hold the crystals together

Described in terms of tenacity,

hardness, cleavage and fracture

Hardness

Describes the mineral

toughness or its resistance to
breaking or deforming

One of the most useful

diagnostic properties of a
mineral

Can be described by using the

terms brittle, malleable,
ductile, sectile and elastic

Refers to the resistance of a

material from scratching or
abrasion

Determined by rubbing a
mineral of unknown hardness or
vice versa

Usually represented as a
numerical value derived from
the Mohs scale of hardness

Mohs Scale of Hardness

12/4/2015

How to remember
The Geologist Can
Find An Ordinary
Quartz (that)
Tourists Call
Diamond

Hardness

Mineral

talc

gypsum

Common Tests
Fingernail will scratch it.

calcite

Fingernail will not scratch it; a

copper penny will.

fluorite

apatite

Knife blade or window glass will

scratch it.

feldspar/orthoclase

quartz

topaz

corundum

10

diamond

Will scratch a steel knife or

window glass.

Cleavage

The tendency of a mineral to

break or cleave along planes of
weak bonding

Not all minerals have cleavage

Those that do can be identified

by the relatively smooth, flat
surfaces that are produced
when the mineral is broken

Will scratch all common materials.

How to determine
cleavage?

12/4/2015

mica

calcite

galena

fluorite

1 cleavage
direction

3 cleavage directions
not at 90

3 cleavage directions
at 90

4 cleavage directions

Fracture

gypsum

halite

2 cleavage directions
at 90

3 cleavage directions
at 90

The breaking of a mineral

having chemical bonds that are
equally, or nearly equally, in all
directions

This is only present in minerals

without cleavage.

Density and Specific

Gravity

Do they have
cleavage or
fracture?

Density is defined as the ratio of an objects mass per unit

volume and is often expressed in grams per cubic centimeter
(g/cm3)

Specific gravity is a number that represents by how much an

object is heavier than water.

It is the ratio of an objects density over the density of water

at 4C.

Most rock-forming minerals have a specific gravity of

between 2 and 3.

12/4/2015

Other Properties

Other Mineral
Properties

Double refraction

Taste

Texture

Odor

Magnetic properties

Special optical properties

(double refraction)

Effervescence

Effervescence

10