Question

what is a mineral?Write classification of minerals.​

Answer 1

Explanation:

The broadest divisions of the classification used in the present discussion are (1) native elements, (2) sulfides, (3) sulfosalts, (4) oxides and hydroxides, (5) halides, (6) carbonates, (7) nitrates, (8) borates, (9) sulfates, (10) phosphates, and (11) silicates.

Answer 2

Classification Of Minerals

Since the middle of the 19th century, minerals have been classified on the basis of their chemical composition. Under this scheme, they are divided into classes according to their dominant anion or anionic group (e.g., halides, oxides, and sulfides). Several reasons justify use of this criterion as the distinguishing factor at the highest level of mineral classification. First, the similarities in properties of minerals with identical anionic groups are generally more pronounced than those with the same dominant cation. For example, carbonates have stronger resemblance to one another than do copper minerals. Secondly, minerals that have identical dominant anions are likely to be found in the same or similar geologic environments. Therefore, sulfides tend to occur together in vein or replacement deposits, while silicate-bearing rocks make up much of Earth’s crust. Third, current chemical practice employs a nomenclature and classification scheme for inorganic compounds based on similar principles. Investigators have found, however, that chemical composition alone is insufficient for classifying minerals. Determination of internal structures, accomplished through the use of X rays, allows a more complete appreciation of the nature of minerals. Chemical composition and internal structure together constitute the essence of a mineral and determine its physical properties; thus, classification should rely on both. Crystallochemical principles—i.e., those relating to both chemical composition and crystal structure—were first applied by the British physicist W. Lawrence Bragg and the Norwegian mineralogist Victor Moritz Goldschmidt in the study of silicate minerals. The silicate group was subdivided in part on the basis of composition but mainly according to internal structure. Based on the topology of the SiO4 tetrahedrons, the subclasses include framework, chain, and sheet silicates, among others. Such mineral classifications are logical and well-defined.

The broadest divisions of the classification used in the present discussion are (1) native elements, (2) sulfides, (3) sulfosalts, (4) oxides and hydroxides, (5) halides, (6) carbonates, (7) nitrates, (8) borates, (9) sulfates, (10) phosphates, and (11) silicates.