1 / 18

Unveiling Mineral Wonders: Characteristics, Properties, and Specialties Explained

Explore the fascinating world of minerals, compounds with unique properties and crystal structures. Learn how to identify minerals based on characteristics like hardness, cleavage, and streak. Discover special mineral properties like fluorescence and magnetism, but remember to never taste most minerals! Dive into the Crystal Cave of Giants and marvel at the extraordinary formations found in Naica, Mexico. Uncover the secrets and mysteries of minerals in this comprehensive guide.

roden
Download Presentation

Unveiling Mineral Wonders: Characteristics, Properties, and Specialties Explained

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. MINERALSThey’re not only in your breakfast cereal.

  2. What is a mineral? • A mineral is typically a compound consisting of more than one element.Ex. Halite (NaCl) • There are minerals that consist of only one element. Ex. Graphite (C)

  3. Characteristics of a mineral • Naturally occurring • Inorganic • Solid • Has a definite chemical composition. • Has a crystalline structure. (an orderly internal arrangement of atoms.

  4. A crystal is composed of a structural unit that is repeated in three dimensions. This is the basic structural unit of a crystal of sodium chloride, the mineral halite.

  5. Minerals have distinctive physical and chemical properties that allow for their identification.

  6. Hardness • Resistance to being scratched. • Controlled by the strength of bonds between atoms • Comparative identification with Moh’s scale.

  7. Cleavage • The tendency of a mineral to break along zones of weakness to form smooth planes.

  8. Fracture • A mineral that lacks zones of weakness will exhibit uneven breaking surfaces.

  9. Streak • Color of a mineral when it is powdered • This characteristic is usually very consistent.

  10. The way a mineral’s surface reflects light Two groups: metallic and non-metallic. Luster

  11. Color • The most obvious but often the least useful. • Because: • The same mineral can be different colors. • Different minerals can be the same color.

  12. Special Properties of Minerals Carbonates react with dilute HCl and other acids by fizzing or bubbling (releasing CO2 gas)

  13. Special Characteristics - Fluorescence • Some minerals will glow when placed under short-wave or long-wave ultraviolet rays • Franklin and Ogdensburg NJ are famous for their fluorescent minerals

  14. DO NOT TASTE MOST MINERALS! Halite is the exception - it will taste salty Special Characteristics -Salty Taste

  15. The Crystal Cave of Giants was accidentally discovered in 2000 by miners working in the silver and lead mine at Naica, Mexico. It lies almost 300 meters (900 feet) below the surface of the Earth and it contains the largest crystals known in the world

  16. Special Characteristics -Magnetism • Many iron minerals will produce an invisible magnetic force field • “Lodestone” was used by Vikings more than 1,000 years ago as compasses

More Related