Earth and Space Science / Unit 2: Minerals and Rocks
2.1 Atoms, Elements and Minerals
Notes
A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid with a definite chemical composition and an orderly crystal structure.
- All five features are required. Ice in a glacier is a mineral; liquid water is not (not solid). Coal is not a mineral (it comes from living things).
- Minerals are made of elements. The most abundant elements in Earth's crust are oxygen and silicon, then aluminum and iron.
- The silicates (containing silicon and oxygen) are the most common mineral group. Quartz and feldspar are examples.
- Atoms of a mineral are arranged in a repeating pattern, which gives crystals flat faces.
Practice
Which is required for a substance to be a mineral?
Minerals are natural, inorganic, solid, with definite composition and structure.
Which is NOT a mineral?
Minerals form naturally, not in factories.
The two most abundant elements in Earth's crust are:
Silicate minerals dominate the crust.
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