Minerals

November 28, 2011

The earth is made of rocks, which are in turn made of
minerals. In this part of the course we'll learn how to
identify common minerals and rocks.

In order for something to be classified as a mineral, it

must meet five (5) criterion:

Minerals are:

· 1. Naturally occurring,

· 2. Inorganic,

· 3. Have known chemical compositions

Physical and Chemical Properties
Physical properties of matter like color or
shape can be observed without changing the
identity of the substance.

Chemical properties like flammability or

reactions with different substances can only be
observed by changing the identity of the
substance into something else.
 Colour (color)

• Color is a physical property that is not very

helpful in identifying most minerals for two
reasons.
– Many minerals come in a variety of colorslike
quartz, calcite, or fluorite.
– The colors of minerals can change as a result of
exposure to heat, cold or pollution.
Colour of Quartz (SiO2)
Colour of fluorite (CaF2)
Colour of Calcite (CaCO3)
 One coloured minerals

Sulfur is always yellow Malachite is always green.

Azurite is always a deep blue

 Play of colours

• Interference of light either at the surface or

• In the interior of a mineral may produce a
series of colours as the angle of incident light
change.
• Labradorite and Diamond posses this property
 Tarnish

• Induced colour when minerals are

exposed to air due to oxidation or chemical
action of substances in the atmosphere.
• Tarnish disappear when the mineral is rubbed
on cloth or surface is scratched
• Chalcopyrite is yellow but tarnish to iridescent
(mixture of colours)
 Luster (lustre)

• Luster describe show how a a mineral shines.It has

nothing to do with color or shape. The terms used
are generally not scientific, but are meant to be
descriptive.
• The luster of minerals is divided into two main
classes:
• METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC
 METALLIC LUSTER

– Hematite(an ore of iron)Minerals with a metallic

luster have a shine like metals.Galena(an ore of
lead)Graphite(used for pencil lead)Pyrite(fools gold)

Graphite
Pyrite

Hematite

Galena
 Non-Metallic Lusters
There are many non-metallic lusters. Some more
common ones are vitreous (glassy),earthy, and
pearly.
Vitreous(commonly called “glassy”) –This is the
most common luster. It simply mean the “look of
glass.”
 Earthy & pearly Luster

• Earthy Luster –This luster has no shine. The surface looks like
dirt or earth.
• Red Hematite–an important ore of iron

– Pearly Luster –shines like a pearl

 Streak
The Property of Streak Streakis closely related to
color,but is a different property because the color of
the mineral may be different than the color of the
streak. Streak is actually the color of the powder of
a mineral.It is called streak because the proper way
to test for streak is to rub a mineral across a tile of
white unglazed porcelain and to examine the color of
the "streak" left behind.
Hematitemay be black, gray, or red but its streak is
always a reddish brown.
 How A Mineral Breaks
• There are two properties to describe how a mineral breaks,
cleavage and fracture.
• Cleavage: Cleavage refers to the property that causes a
mineral to break or split in one or more directions along
smooth flat planes. A mineral may “cleave” along one, two,
three, or more different directions.
• Fracture: Fracture is the term applied to uneven, irregular, or
indefinite breaks in minerals. The mineral may break along
jagged lines, look splintered or curved like broken glass.
 Cleavage

Feldspar
Calcite

Fluorite
Cleavage in mica
 Fracture

• All of these minerals have show fracture

where they are broken. There are no sides
that show a flat smooth plane
 Parting

• Minerals break along planes of structural

weakness. The weakness due to twinning or
pressure. Only the affected parts of the crystal
show parting
 Tenacity

• The resistance of a mineral to breaking,

crushing, bending or tearing. Its cohesiveness:
• Brittle, malleable, sectile, ductile, flexible,
elastic
 Density

• The property of density is probably one of the most

useful properties in identifying a mineral. The
density of a mineral does not change and no other
mineral shares the exact same density. Testing for
density is not always possible if you do not want to
get the mineral wet by using water displacement to
find its volume.
 Specific Gravity

• Specific gravity
• (similar to density)
• Weight of a mineral divided by weight of an
equal volume of water.
• Weight in air/ weight in air-weight in water=
Sp.Gr.
 Density

Talc’s density = 2.75 g/ml Galena’s density = 7.57 g/ml

If both minerals are the same size

galena will feel much heavier when
you pick it up.
 Hardness of Minerals
• A good property in mineral identification is one that does not
vary from specimen to specimen. In terms of reliability,
hardness is one of the better physical properties for
minerals. Hardness is one measure of the strength of the
structure of the mineral relative to the strength of its chemical
bonds. In simple terms it is the ability of a mineral to resist
being scratched. Minerals with small atoms, packed tightly
together tend to be the hardest minerals. Hardness is
generally the same for a mineral because the chemistry of any
mineral is generally the same. For example, all diamonds are
made of carbon atoms that are always joined together in the
same pattern. The most valuable minerals, those that are
classified as gems, are the hardest minerals. A diamond is the
hardest mineral.
•
Moh’s Hardness Scale
Hardness can be tested through scratching. A scratch on a mineral is actually a
groove produced by fractures on the surface of the mineral. A mineral can only be
scratched by a harder substance. A hard mineral can scratch a softer mineral, but a
soft mineral can not scratch a harder mineral (no matter how hard you try).
Therefore, a relative scale can be established to account for the differences in
hardness simply by seeing which mineral scratches another. The Mohs Hardness
Scale, proposed by French mineralogist Friedrich Mohs, starting with talc at 1 and
ending with diamond at 10, is universally used around the world as a way of
distinguishing minerals. Simply put; the higher the number, the harder the mineral.

• Below is the MOH’S HARDNESS SCALE.

– 1.Talc

– 2.Gypsum

– 3.Calcite

– 4.Fluorite

– 5.Apatite

– 6.Orthoclase(Feldspar)
 Hardness

• The Field Hardness Scale Most people do not

carry minerals with them when they are out in
the field identifying minerals, so a field scale is
most often used to test hardness. This scale
relies on everyday items that a person might
have with them.
Hardness
 Transparency & Translucency
• Outline of objects can been seen through it
and are clear and sharp= Transparency
• Oulines are blurred and hazy = Translucency
• No light is transmitted through the mineral =
Opaque
 Magnetism
• Magnetite (Fe3O4) and Pyrrhotite (FeS) are
ferromagnetic- attracted to hand magnet.
Paramagnetic = attracted to a powerful
electomagnet. Diamagnetic = repelled
minerals
• Minerals can be separated from each other
depending on magnetic characteristics
 Electricity

• Metallic bonding in native metals=Conductors

• Partially metallic bonding in sulphide minerals =
Semi-conductors
• Ionic or Covalent bonds in minerals = non-
conductors. Some minerals conduct by:
• Pyrolectric minerals (by temperature)
• Piezoelectric minerals (by pressure)
Crystal structure
Crystal structure depends on sizes of and charges on ions

Most common mineral group is the silicates

All silicate minerals contain silicon and oxygen

1. Mafic silicate minerals contain iron or magnesium and

are dark in color.
Examples: olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite
Mafic silicate

Felsic silicate
Silicate mineral structures

Basic building block: silica tetrahedron

Silica tetrahedron is a silicon ion bonded to 4 oxygen ions

Silicon is positively charged (+4)
Oxygen is negatively charged (-2)
Net charge on tetrahedron: -4
Because entire tetrahedron is negatively charged, it is
attracted to cations
Silica Tetrahedron

Silicon
Oxygens
Isolated tetrahedral structure
Cations serve as links between tetrahedra; no sharing of
oxygens
e.g. olivine, and garnet, which also happen to be mafic
silicates

Single chain silicates

Adjacent tetrahedra form a chain by sharing 2 of their
oxygens with neighboring tetrahedra
e.g. pyroxenes, which also happen to be mafic silicates
Double chain silicates
Two chains can link up by sharing oxygens
e.g. amphiboles, which are mafic silicates
too

Sheet silicates
Sheets are formed when each
tetrahedron shares 3 of its oxygens with
its neighbors
Common non-silicate minerals

Fluorite – used as a toothpaste additive

Calcite -- calcium carbonate -- Limestone is made of calcite.

Dolomite -- calcium magnesium carbonate

Gypsum -- calcium sulfate

Galena -- lead sulfide

Pyrite -- iron sulfide

Halite -- sodium chloride (table salt)

Thanks