What is a Mineral?
A mineral is a chemical element or compound that is naturally happening in the earth and has a crystal structure. Is a rock a mineral? A rock is a natural mineral that is made of one or more minerals. Most rocks are compound minerals witch means it is made of more then one mineral for example Quartz is made of silicon and oxygen. A mineral can be mined and use for a purpose like oil and coal are minerals are resources that are made of dead plant and animal minerals. Coal, gas and oil are fossil fuels.
Identifying Minerals
There are around 4000 minerals and some look the same. There are 6 clues to identifying minerals: crystal structure, hardness, luster, color, streak and clearage/fracture.
Crystal Structure
Most minerals become beautiful shapes according to 6 different shapes: cubic; tetragonal; hexagonal; orthorhombic; monoclinic; triclinic. Most structures can not be seen by the naked eye.
Hardness
Hardness is a measure of the mineral not wanting to be scratched. Hardness is measured by value of one to ten on the Moh's scale of hardness; the high on the scale is the harder the rock. The Diamond is the hardest mineral.
Luster
Luster is the shininess of a mineral. If a mineral shines like polished metal, it is said to have metallic luster. If it doesn’t shine like metal it is said to have non-metallic luster. The luster is declared if it looks; adamantine, glassy, greasy, waxy, pearl, and silky.
Color
The color is a small clue to what the mineral is. A mineral can have more then one color.
Streak
A streak is the color of the mineral powder. A streak is a way to identify the mineral for example gold and pyrite look the same but gold leaves a gold streak and pyrite leaves a greenish-blavk or brownish-black.
Cleavage/fracture
When a mineral breaks along smooth, flat surfaces it is said to have cleavage. When a mineral breaks with rough or jagged edges is said to have fracture
Crystal Structure
Most minerals become beautiful shapes according to 6 different shapes: cubic; tetragonal; hexagonal; orthorhombic; monoclinic; triclinic. Most structures can not be seen by the naked eye.
Hardness
Hardness is a measure of the mineral not wanting to be scratched. Hardness is measured by value of one to ten on the Moh's scale of hardness; the high on the scale is the harder the rock. The Diamond is the hardest mineral.
Luster
Luster is the shininess of a mineral. If a mineral shines like polished metal, it is said to have metallic luster. If it doesn’t shine like metal it is said to have non-metallic luster. The luster is declared if it looks; adamantine, glassy, greasy, waxy, pearl, and silky.
Color
The color is a small clue to what the mineral is. A mineral can have more then one color.
Streak
A streak is the color of the mineral powder. A streak is a way to identify the mineral for example gold and pyrite look the same but gold leaves a gold streak and pyrite leaves a greenish-blavk or brownish-black.
Cleavage/fracture
When a mineral breaks along smooth, flat surfaces it is said to have cleavage. When a mineral breaks with rough or jagged edges is said to have fracture
Rocks
A rock is a natural mineral that is made of one or more minerals.There are different types of rocks that all fall under 3 categories: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
Igneous
The igneous is formed when magma or lava cools, it can be cooled above or below the earth’s surface. When the rock is cooled below (when magma cools) it is called intrusive rock. When the rock is cooled above (when lava cools) it is called extrusive rock. The intrusive rock has visible crystals and the extrusive rock does not because the intrusive has more time to cool and develup crystals. The extrusive rock as less time to develup crystals.
Sedimentary
A sedimentary rock is made of sediment. Sediment is loose material such as bits of rocks, minerals, plants and animals. Water, wind and ice move sediments it a place were it can settle. Sediment settles on sediment forming layers.The layers squeezing together is called compaction. The layers are squeezed together by the weight on top. Some minerals dissolve as the water sucks in to the rock.The dissolved minerals act like cement that sticks the sediment together and this is called cementation. A Fun fact is that most sedimentary rocks commonly contain fossils.
Metamorphic
A metamorphic rock is formed when heat and pressure change a type of rock into another type of rock below the surface . A metamorphic rock can be made of a igneous or a sedimentary rock.The rock changed in to another rock is called a parent rock. A parent rock can change in to several other rocks. A metamorphic rock that has layers is called foliated and that means it has thin leaf-like layers. Metamorphic rock that doesn`t have layers is called non-foliated.
Igneous
The igneous is formed when magma or lava cools, it can be cooled above or below the earth’s surface. When the rock is cooled below (when magma cools) it is called intrusive rock. When the rock is cooled above (when lava cools) it is called extrusive rock. The intrusive rock has visible crystals and the extrusive rock does not because the intrusive has more time to cool and develup crystals. The extrusive rock as less time to develup crystals.
Sedimentary
A sedimentary rock is made of sediment. Sediment is loose material such as bits of rocks, minerals, plants and animals. Water, wind and ice move sediments it a place were it can settle. Sediment settles on sediment forming layers.The layers squeezing together is called compaction. The layers are squeezed together by the weight on top. Some minerals dissolve as the water sucks in to the rock.The dissolved minerals act like cement that sticks the sediment together and this is called cementation. A Fun fact is that most sedimentary rocks commonly contain fossils.
Metamorphic
A metamorphic rock is formed when heat and pressure change a type of rock into another type of rock below the surface . A metamorphic rock can be made of a igneous or a sedimentary rock.The rock changed in to another rock is called a parent rock. A parent rock can change in to several other rocks. A metamorphic rock that has layers is called foliated and that means it has thin leaf-like layers. Metamorphic rock that doesn`t have layers is called non-foliated.
Rock Life Cycle
You would think that rocks live forever, well that is false there is a rock cycle. A rock cycle has no start. At the top is an igneous rock when weathering and erosion happens, it becomes a sediment or the rock crystallizes, then hits heat and pressure and becomes a metamorphic rock. The igneous rock can also melt, hit magma, cool then become a different igneous rock. The sediment from the igneous becomes a sedimentary rock and it can become a sediment again through weathering and erosion or goes down to the heat and pressure, then become a metamorphic rock. The metamorphic rock melts when hits magma then cools and becomes a igneous rock again or it can go through weathering and erosion and become a sediment.