Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic solids with a defined chemical composition and crystalline structure. They are the building blocks of rocks and have specific physical properties like luster, hardness, cleavage, and specific gravity. Minerals provide important natural resources and are non-renewable, so it is important to conserve them for future generations by recycling products, recovering minerals from mining waste, and using materials efficiently.
2. • Minerals – is defined as naturally formed, generally
inorganic, crystalline solid composed of
an ordered array of atoms and having a
specific chemical composition.
• Mineralogy – is the study of the chemistry, crystal
structure and physical properties of the
mineral constituents of rocks.
- building blocks of rocks
3. Minerals therefore, can be
described as:
• Inorganic – formed by natural geologic process
• Formed in Nature
• Solids – crystalline substance that are solid at
temperature at Earth’s surface
• Atoms have the same crystalline pattern and with
specific chemical composition
• Crystalline Atoms – are arranged in an orderly repetitive
manner
- Can be represented by a Chemical Formula.
5. 1. Luster
- Refers to the way light is reflected from a mineral
surface.
- Some have metallic surface such as gold, silver and
copper.
- Others are described as vitreous or glassy, pearly,
silky, resinous and earthy or dull.
Dull Luster
Pearly Luster
6. 2. Hardness
- Refers to the minerals resistance to being
scratched
- The hard ones are difficult to scratch, the
softer ones are less resistant to scratches.
- Frederich Moh, a German mineralogist
prepared a scale of hardness with a number of
1-10 in the increasing hardness.
9. 3. Color and Streak
- Refers to the color of powdered mineral
- The sample is rubbed across a piece of unglazed
porcelain or streak plate.
4. Cleavage
- Tendency of minerals to break along planes
of weak bonding.
- Described by the numbers of planes
exhibited and the angles at which they meet.
10. 5. Fracture
- Minerals that do not exhibit cleavage
are said to fracture when broken.
- Some break like glass, some into
splinters or fiber.
6. Color
- Some are of the same color like azurite is
always deep blue, malachite is green,
cinnabar is red , and sulfur is yellow.
11. 7. Specific Gravity
- Is a number which represents the ratio
to the weight of an equal volume of
water.
- Example: Galena is 7.5 times heavier
than a comparable volume of water.
8. Crystal Form
- External features of a mineral
reflect its orderly internal
arrangement of atoms
12. Chemical Properties of Minerals
• A sample chemical test is:
a. Taste test – NaCl (Sodium Chloride/
salt) has a distinctly salty taste.
b. Fizz test – carbonate minerals in
hydrochloric acid, giving of bubbles of carbon
dioxide gas.
13. Natural Resources
• The Earth’s crust and oceans are the sources of a wide variety of useful and
essential minerals.
• Renewable resources can be replenished.
• Non-renewable are some basic resources such as iron, aluminum and copper.
Others are like fuels like oil, natural gas and coal.
• Rich deposits of metallic minerals such as iron, nickel, copper, gold, silver,
chromium, zinc and lead are also located.
• Gold is the precious metal which can be found pure in nature.
• Mercury reserves are located in Albay and Palawan.
• Our biggest load deposits are found in Ayala, Zamboanga.
• Molybdenum deposits occur in batangas.
• Gold is metal for adornment. It exhibits a shiny yellow color and a specific
gravity of 29.3
• Platinum is catalyst in refining petroleum.
14. • Non-metallic Minerals include:
a. Limestone – used to make concrete and cement. It is
found in Cebu, Negros and Bulacan.
b. Feldspar – used in making tiles and ceramic toilet ware
found in Ilocos Norte and Pampanga
c. Silica – used in making glass, found in Palawan and
Negros Occidental.
d. Clay – used for pottery found in Ilocos Norte.
e. Red Marble – found in Romblon.
Minerals in the Philippines
15. Conserving our Mineral Resources
• It took thousands or even millions of years to produce
these resources.
• Mineral resources are non- renewable.
• It is important to us to utilize wisely and conserve
our country’s wealth for future generations to come.
16. We Should:
• Recycle our products to reduce waste.
• Recover Minerals from mine tailings.
• Control Corrosion.
• Use alloys whenever feasible.
