assignment on mineral in geography introduction
Answers
Minerals are substances that are formed naturally in the Earth. Rocks are made of minerals.
An assortment of minerals.
Minerals are usually solid, inorganic, have a crystal structure, and form naturally by geological processes.[1]
The study of minerals is called mineralogy.[2]
A mineral can be made of single chemical element or more usually a compound. There are over 4,000 types of known minerals.[3] Two common minerals are quartz and feldspar.
Characteristics of minerals Edit
Labradorite feldspar displaying typical labradorescence
A mineral is a substance that usually
is an inorganic solid. (elemental mercury is an exception)[3]p184[4]
Has a definite chemical make-up
usually has a crystal structure; some do not
is formed naturally by geological processes
One recent definition is:
"A mineral is a homogeneous (which means composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind) naturally occurring substance with a definite but not necessarily fixed chemical composition. Most minerals are solids with an ordered atomic arrangement, and most are inorganic in the chemical sense of that word".[1]
Alternatively, a mineral is one listed as such by the International Mineralogical Association.[3]
Minerals and rocks Edit
Minerals are different from rocks. A mineral is a chemical compound with a given composition and a defined crystal structure.[5] A rock is a mixture of one or several minerals, in varying proportions.
A rock has only two of the characteristics minerals have–it is a solid and it forms naturally. A rock usually contains two or more types of minerals. Two samples of the same type of rock may have different kinds of minerals in them. Minerals are always made up of the same materials in nearly the same proportions. A ruby is a mineral. Therefore, a ruby found in India has similar makeup as a ruby found in Australia.
Answer:
mineral is a substance that occurs naturally and has definite chemical composition. They are not distributed in an even manner. They can be found concentrated in a particular area or in a rock formation. Few kinds of minerals can be found in areas which one cannot access easily at places such as Antarctica and the ocean bed of the Arctic.
Minerals can be found under varying conditions in geological environments of different types. They are created with the help of natural processes and no human interference is required for this. One can identify minerals with the help of physical properties such as density, hardness, color and chemical properties like solubility.
Explanation: