Rocks & Minerals

Basic Terms
Lets refresh our
memory with some basic
chemistry terms before
we proceed!!
Atomic Number
Number of protons
found in the
nucleus

Also the number of
electrons



Mass Number
Number of protons
and neutrons

Atomic Weight
Average atomic
mass of an
element

Matter
Anything that takes
up space, has
mass, and can be
weighed.

3 states:
Solid
Liquid
Gas

Solid:
Has a definite shape and volume

Liquid:
Definite volume; takes the shape of the container

Gas:
No definite shape or volume; takes shape and
volume of its container
Element
Pure substance
that cant be
broken down into
other elements
(hydrogen and oxygen)

108 elements on
periodic table

First 92 are
natural elements

Atom
Smallest piece of an
element that is still
recognized as an
element

Contains:
Protons= + charge

Neutrons=no charge

Electrons= - charge
Chemical Symbol
One or two letter
abbreviations for
an element.

Hydrogen: H

Carbon: C

Oxygen: O

C
6
H
12
O
6
Compound
Substance that
contains two or
more elements
bonded together

Ex:
Water (H and O)
Table Salt (Na and Cl)
Molecule
Smallest unit of an
element or
compound that can
exist by itself

Molecules of Elements
Hydrogen= H
2
Oxygen= O
2

Molecules of
Compounds
Water= H
2
O






Formula
Tells the # of atoms of
each element that
combine to make a
molecule

Water= H
2
O
Two atoms of
hydrogen are shown
by the subscript
2

One atom of oxygen,
so no subscript is
present

Mixture
A mixture of two or
more kinds of matter
that are not
chemically bonded to
each other

13-2: What is a Mineral?
A naturally
occurring, inorganic
solid that has a
definite chemical
composition and
crystal structure

Crystal- flat sides
that meet in sharp
edges and corners

Formation & Composition
Minerals come from
cooled magma

2500 kinds of
minerals; some are
easy to find and
others are rare

Identifying Minerals
Physical Properties
are used to identify
minerals:
Color- always a
reliable way to
identify minerals.

However, color can
change do to
pollution, heat, and
cold

Luster
The way a mineral
reflects light from its
surface



Non-metallic luster:
Dont have much of a
reflection; known as
glassy, pearly, and
dull

Hardness
The ability to resist
being scratched

Most useful
properties for
identifying a mineral

Numbered 1-10.
1-Talc-softest
10-Diamond-hardest

Streak
Color of powder
scraped off when it is
rubbed against a
hard, rough surface

Streak may be a
different color than
the mineral itself.
Density
Amount of matter in a
given space

Mass per volume

Density of a mineral is
always the same

Denser material feels
heavier
Crystal Shape
Minerals have a
crystal shape that
results from the way
the atoms or
molecules come
together as the
mineral is forming
Cleavage & Fracture
Describe how the
mineral breaks along
flat surfaces. Ex:
Halite

Most minerals break
along a rough or
jagged surface. Ex:
Quartz
Special Properties
Magnetite:
Naturally magnetic

Halite:
Tastes salty

Sulfur:
Smells like rotten
eggs


13.3: Uses of Minerals
Minerals are raw
materials used for a
wide variety of
products from dyes to
dishes and from table
salt to televisions


Ores
Minerals or a
combination of
minerals from which
metals and
nonmetals can be
removed in usable
amounts

Metals
Elements that have
shiny surfaces and
are able to conduct
electricity and heat

Ex: Iron, lead,
aluminum, copper,
silver, and gold

Copper: Pipes and
electrical wire

Aluminum: Cans,
foil, motors, and
airplanes

Silver & Gold:
Jewelry

Copper & Zinc:
Brass

Nonmetals
Elements that have
dull surfaces and are
poor conductors of
electricity and heat

Some are removed
from the Earth and
others must be
processed

Sulfur: Most useful
nonmetal.

Matches
Medicines
Fertilizers
Iron
Steel Production

Gemstones
Hard, beautiful, and
durable substances
that can be cut and
polished for jewelry
and decoration

Gem: Cut and
polished gemstone

Most valuable:
Diamonds, rubies,
and emeralds

Semiprecious:
Amethysts, garnets,
and turquoises



13.4: What is a Rock?
Building blocks of
the Earth

They form beaches,
mountains, the ocean
floor, and Earths
crust

Igneous Rocks
Originally hot, fluid
magma within the
Earth

Latin word Ignis:
Means fire

Sedimentary Rocks
Formed from
particles that have
been carried along
and deposited by
wind and water

Sediments
Bits of rock in the form
of mud, sand, or pebbles

Include: Shells, bones,
leaves, stems, and other
remains of living things

Over time the particles
become pressed or
cemented together to
form rocks

Metamorphic
Rocks formed when
chemical reactions,
tremendous heat, or
great pressure
change existing rocks
into new kinds of
rocks

The Rock Cycle
Continuous changing
of rocks from one
kind to another over
long periods of time

13.5: Fluid & Fire: Igneous
Rocks
Classified according to
their composition and
texture

Composition: Minerals
of which rocks are
formed

Texture: Shape, size,
arrangement, and
distribution of the
minerals

Extrusive Rocks
Rocks formed from
lava, also known as
volcanic rocks

Ex: Basalt,
Obsidian, and
Pumice

Intrusive Rocks
Formed deep within
the Earth

Formed when
magma forces its way
upward into
preexisting rocks and
then hardens

Ex: Granite

13.6: Slowly Built Layers:
Sedimentary Rocks
3 Categories:
Clastic rocks
Organic rocks
Chemical rocks

According to the
origin of materials
from which they are
made

Clastic Rocks
Made of fragments of
previously existing rocks

Classified according to
their size and shape

Conglomerate: Over a
third of a rock is covered
in pebbles

Organic Rocks
Come from
organisms; formed
directly or indirectly
from material that
was once living

When they die, their
shells collect on the
ocean floor and are
compacted into rock

Chemical Rocks
When a sea or lake
dries up, large
amounts of minerals
are dissolved in the
water

The deposited
materials create
spectacular
formations

13.7: Changes in Form:
Metamorphic Rocks
Already existing
rocks are buried
deep within the Earth

Heat, pressure, and
chemical reactions
cause their texture
and structure to
change

Formed from igneous
and sedimentary
rocks

Under heat and
pressure the minerals
in the rocks separate
into layers

Rocks texture,
mineral composition,
and chemical
composition change

Foliated- Mineral
crystals arranged
in parallel layers,
which are thin and
flat, like leaves



Unfoliated- Rocks
are banded
together and do
not break into
layers