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What is a mineral?
A homogenous, naturally occurring, solid formed by geologic processes with a definable chemical composition and a crystalline structure (orderly arrangement of atoms)
More than 5,000 are known
Around 50-100 new minerals are discovered annually
What is biomineralization?
Biologic activity can facilitate mineral formationÂ
Calcite, argonite common biogenic minerals: CaCO3
Living organism acting in a way to produce mineralsÂ
What is Crystaline?
Regular atomic order/arrangement inside the mineralÂ
Why is it important?
minerals can take many forms
Ex: Carbon when formed like sheet makes graphite, and another formation is diamond
Amorphous-randomly organized, no regular arrangement, mineraloids (solids) quartz
Polymorphs-Â Minerals whoâs compositions are the same but structures are different (multiple forms) calcite
colour
The part of visible light that is not absorbed by a mineral
Varieties often reflect trace impuritiesÂ
Not very diagnosticÂ
Streak
Color of powdered mineral and can be a different color than the non powdered mineral
Obtained by scraping a mineral on unglazed porcelain
Streak color is less variable than crystal colorÂ
Luster
Quality of light reflected or scattered from the mineral surfaceÂ
2 subdivisions
Metallicâlooks like metals
 Pyrite
Non Metallic-may look shinyÂ
Quartzâvitreous (glass)
Sub-vitreous
earthy
Hardness
measures the ability of a mineral to scratch other substances
A measure of the strength of atomic bondsÂ
Scratching resistance of a mineralÂ
Harder than a mineralâshould be able to scratch itÂ
Mohs scale of hardnessâtalc softest, diamond hardestÂ
Specific Gravity
Density relative to equal volume of waterÂ
Represents the density of a mineralÂ
Mineral weight over the weight of an equal water volumeÂ
We measure specific gravity is âheftâ--how heavy it feels
Pyriteâheavy (SG~5)
Quartz-light (SG 2.65)
Pyrite âfeelsâ heavier than quartzÂ
Crystal Habit
how their crystals grow and appear in rocks
Crystal shapes are determined by the arrangement of the atoms within the crystal structure
External shape/form of single crystals or aggregate of crystals
well-formed faces, or poorly formed faces
External forms can be different than general structureÂ
striations (dark and light parallel lines on a crystal face) are used to identify minerals
Cleavage
planes are smooth, flat, parallel planes within the crystal
may show as reflective surfaces on the crystal (parallel cracks that penetrate into the crystal/on the edge or side of the crystal
Tendency to break along planes of weaker atomic bonds
Is sometimes mistaken for crystal habitâonly outside formÂ
Crystal faces only occur in external surfacesÂ
Cleavage is repetitive through the mineral; it often forms parallel stepsâcontinuous throughout the mineral Â
Examples of cleavage
one direction
Mica
Smoothe planeÂ
Perfect cleavageÂ
2 directions at 90 degrees
Feldspar
Good cleavageâhas 2 at an angle of 90
3 directions at 90 degrees
Intersect at 90
3 directions not at 90 degrees
 Calcite
Wrong shapes when brokenÂ
Multiple cleavagesâangle can be diagnosticÂ
Fracture
A description of the quality of surface other than a cleavage plane along which a mineral breakÂ
Conchoidal fracture
How do minerals form?
precipitation directly from a solution or fluid
crystallization from a molten magma
precipitation by organisms
Precipitation directly from a solution or fluid
Could also be gassesâvolcanic active region-crystals of sulfur
Least soluble will form first
First one to form when you evaporate sea water-calcite
Further evaporation concentrates them
Crystallized from open seas-evaporite
Mineral deposits formed through evaporationÂ
Crystallization from a molten magma
As magmas cool below melting temp, form crystal minerals
Order of crystallization based on melting point/temp of mineralÂ
Highest goes firstÂ
Precipitation from organisms
Precipitate minerals from solutionâammoniteÂ
Ammonite shell made of calcium carbonate or aragonite calcite (polymorphy)
Diatomsâcrystalize shells made of silicaâquartzÂ
What is the composition of the earths crust?
Oxygen and silicon are the 2 most abundant elements in earth's crustÂ
most of the minerals are made of these 2 elements bonded together in various proportions (silicate minerals)
Compounds form from a cation (silicon) and a anion (oxygen), need to have to form most minerals
Most abundant group of minerals we have (Oxygen and silicon)
3500 of 5000 minerals Â
What are silicate minerals?
cations (si^4+) and anions (0ÂČ-) typically bond together ionically
silicon gives up 4 electrons and oxygen needs to borrow 2 electrons
so when these 2 bond together, the shape that forms is called a tetrahedral shape which s the fundamental unit of silicate minerals
Silicon bonded to 4 oxygenÂ
Fundamental unit
Classification of silicate minerals
Isolated silicate structureâConnected to other atoms of iron and magnesium (olivine)
No oxygen shared between tetrahedrasÂ
Chain silicate-Connected to other tetrahedra to form a chain structureÂ
Share oxygen (2 are shared)Â
Double chain silicate-Chain and combining with another chain
Alternates tetrahedras (can share 2 or 3 oxygens)Â
Sheet silicate-All tetrahedras are sharing 3 oxygens with the neighbour tetrahedra
Arranged as 2 dimensional sheetâsheet silicate structure (Mica)
Framework silicates-Forms 3 dimensional frameworkâshare all 4 corners of tetrahedra with other tetrahedra (quartz)
Classification of non-silicate minerals
Based on anion they contain when they are more complex compound than a simple elementÂ
Name groups based on anion or anionic groupÂ
carbonate=carbonates (group is oxygen which are oxides)
Sulfide-should have sulfur and so on