MATTER AND MINERALS

The solid part of the Earth is made up of rocks. Rocks are made up from minerals. Earth’s crust and ocean are the source of a wide variety of useful, essential
minerals.

 Minerals : any naturally occurring, inorganic solid that possesses an orderly crystalline structure and a well-defined chemical composition. E.g:
quartz , pyrite. Minerals are made up of combinations of nearly a hundred different elements, yet only eight elements make up over 98% of the
Earth's crust.

 Mineral Characteristics :
o Occurs naturally : minerals form by natural geologic process. Those produced in labs such as synthetic diamonds and rubies are not
considered minerals.
o Solid substance : minerals are solids within the normal temperature ranges on the earth’s surface. E.g: ice(frozen water) = minerals,
liquid water and vapor ≠ minerals.
o Orderly crystalline structure : their atoms are arranged in an orderly, repetitive manner which is reflected in crystals.
o Well-defined chemical composition: vary within specific well-defined limits
o Generally inorganic : e.g : calcite, halite.

 Rocks : any naturally occurring solids consisting of an aggregate of minerals. A few rocks are composed almost entirely of one mineral.e.g :
limestone which consist of impure masses of calcite.
 Some rocks are also composed of non-mineral matter. E.g : obsidian, coal, and pumice.
 Rocks are classified into three distinct groups - igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
 IGNEOUS ROCKS form when magma, molten rock, rises upward toward the surface and are classified into two types on the basis of texture (grain
size) and composition.
 METAMORPHIC ROCKS form when changes in the composition and/or texture of a rock occur as a result of increasing pressure or temperature but
stop short of melting minerals. Two groups of metamorphic rocks can be identified based upon the presence or absence of a specific texture (foliation)
in the rocks.
 Sedimentary rocks the most common rocks on the Earth's surface. Can be identified by the presence of layers (beds). Although layering is
sometimes present in igneous and metamorphic rocks, it is much more common in sedimentary rocks. Most sedimentary rocks are deposited under water so
the presence of layering in rocks is often taken as an indication of ancient oceans or lakes.
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