Minerals Flashcards
Mineral
Natural, inorganic, solid,. Can only contain one element, or compounds of several different elements.
3 ways a mineral can form
- Crystallization from cooled magma (eg; pyrite)
- Crystal growth in the solid state. (Changing temperature after a mineral forms.)
- Precipitation from solution. (eg; salt from an ocean)
Silicates
- Feldspars (65%)
- Quartz (15%)
- Most common mineral in earths crust (95%)
- Forms a tetrahedron
How are silicates classified?
- Linking of the tetrahedral
2. Composition
Ferromagnesian
- Fe/Mg-rich
- cations that bind silica tetrahedron together
- Dark minerals (black, brown, green)
Aluminosilicate
Al/Si-rich
Quartz formula
SiO2 (it is a feldspar)
Silicate Minerals
Olivine, Pyroxene group, Amphibole group, Mica, Feldspar, Quartz
First minerals to crystallize out of magma (form at the highest temperature)
Olivine, Pyroxene, amphiboles.
extremely easy to weather
Non-Silicates Classification
- Chemical composition of the anion
- Type of Cation
Examples of Non-Silicates
Halite, Ag, Au, Cu, Pyrite
what is a Native element?
An element composed of one element
Carbonates
Have the carbonate anion
MINERALS CANNOT BE CHARGED
Hydroxides and Oxides
ferric hydroxide [Fe(OH)3]
hematite [Fe2O3]
magnetite [Fe3O4]
gibbsite [Al(OH)3]
What is Mohs Scale
what we use to determine how readily a mineral scratches