This Planet Really Rocks!
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What is a Mineral? |
 Minerals are inorganic; they are not alive and they are not plants
or animals. An example of a rock that is not a mineral is coal. Coal is
a substance formed from decayed plants and animals. Therefore, coal is
not considered a mineral.
Minerals are found in the earth or are naturally occurring substances. They are found in
dirt, rocks, and water.
They are not made by man.
Minerals are chemical substances. Some minerals like gold or
silver are made of only one element. Other minerals, like quartz
and calcite, are combinations of two or more elements.
Minerals always have the same chemical makeup. For example,
quartz will always consist of one part silicon (an element) two parts
oxygen (another element).
Minerals are usually solid
crystals. They have a number of
flat surfaces in an orderly arrangement.
For example, a crystal of quartz
is always hexagonal because of the way the atoms of silicon and oxygen
join together.
About 2,000 minerals have been found. Oxygen is part of many minerals. Minerals containing oxygen make up almost half of the earth's crust. Quartz is a common mineral. Other common minerals are feldspar, mica, and horneblend. Many rocks are made of these common minerals.
To learn more about rocks and minerals, click on next below.
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Fascinating Facts ||
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The elements oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium,
potassium, and sodium make up 99 percent of all minerals on Earth.
Do you know the difference between a rock and a mineral? Minerals are the
building blocks of rocks. Here are some of the basic characteristics of
minerals to help you understand what they are:
Some minerals are rare and expensive.
They are called 
