A mineral is a substance that:

1. forms in nature

2. is a solid and made up of substances that were never alive.

3. has a definite chemical make-up

4. has a crystal structure

• A rock:

1. is a solid

2. it forms naturally

3. it usually contains 2 or more minerals

• Minerals are formed by natural processes.

• Every type of mineral can form in nature by processes that do not involve living organisms.

• Do rocks make up minerals or do Minerals make up rocks?

• What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

• Minerals are solid.• 1. Minerals are made up of elements.• 2. An element is a substance that contains only one

type of atom.• 3. An atom is the smallest particle an element can

be divided into.

•Each mineral has a definite chemical makeup: it consist of a specific combination of atoms or certain elements. •Minerals Gold and Copper contain atoms of the same type. Minerals Halite has atoms of sodium and chlorine.•The type of minerals that form in an area depends in part on what elements are found there.

• Minerals are classified based on chemical composition into 2 groups.– Silicates & Non-silicates– All the minerals in the silicate group contain

oxygen and silicon – the two most common elements in Earth’s crust.

Crystal Structure: A Crystal is a solid.• In a crystal the atoms are arranged in an orderly,

repeating three-dimensional pattern.• Each mineral has its own type of crystal structure.• In some cases, two minerals have the same chemical

composition but different crystal structures.

• Mineral crystals that are valued for their beauty rather than for usefulness, are attractive and rare, and are hard enough to be cut and polished are called gems.

Diamond and graphite are made of just one element- carbon. But, the arrangements of the carbon atoms in these two minerals are not the same, so they have different crystal structures and very different properties. Diamonds are extremely hard and have a brilliant sparkle. Graphite is soft, gray and dull.

• * Minerals form many ways:1. Halite forms when water evaporates in a hot shallow part of the ocean, leaving behind the salt. (Halite used in table salt)

2. Talc, a mineral used to make baby powder, forms deep in Earth as high pressure & temperature causes changes in solid rock.

3. Minerals such as quartz grow as molten rock cools.

4. As hot water cools, the dissolved minerals in the water separate from the water and become solid. Gold

5. A few minerals are produced by living things .

OresA rock is an ore if they contain enough of

a mineral to be mined for profit.

Minerals are a nonrenewable resource. It is used up more quickly than it can be replaced in nature.