PPT-Optical Properties of Minerals

UNIT 4 They assist in the identification of minerals study their optical properties under the microscope Minerals are inorganic chemical compounds having a certain lattice shape size and symmetry being a result of the geometrical arrangement of the constituents chemical elements such as Si Al O . Geologists use characteristics to tell one mineral from another. What is a Mineral?. Must be a solid.. Must occur in nature.. Must have a definable chemical composition (. NaCl. ).. Must have a crystalline structure.. Magnetism Feel. Taste . Smell. Optical Properties. Magnetism. Lodestone – natural compass. Magnetite. Feel. Graphite. feels greasy. Talc. feels soapy. Taste. Halite. is rock salt, so it tastes salty.. These notes go on pages 5 and 7 of your INB!. http://www.mii.org/www.mii.org. General Facts about Minerals. Between 2 - 3,000 have been identified. A few are . “native elements” . -- made of only one element, such as sulfur, gold. copper, and graphite (carbon). If you closed your eyes and tasted different foods, you could probably determine what the foods are by noting properties such as saltiness or sweetness. . You can also determine the identity of a mineral by noting different properties.. All rocks are made up of 2 or more of these minerals. . Minerals are not rocks!. Silicon and oxygen are the most abundant elements in the crust and in minerals. Oxygen is the most abundant element in minerals. A pure substance, such as a mineral, can be identified from observations and tests performed to determine its physical properties. These properties are based on the unique structure of the substance.. Standard: S6E5b. Investigate the contribution of minerals to rock composition.. There are five characteristics of a mineral. F. ive characteristics. . of a mineral:. Solid—A mineral is always a solid, with a definite volume and shape.. A. Definition – four part definition. . . Naturally occurring. . . Inorganic substance (non-living). . . Crystalline solid. . . Definite chemical composition.  .  .  . There are substances that meet 3 of the 4 criteria, and are called . What is a Mineral?. Must be a solid.. Must occur in nature.. Must have a definable chemical composition (. NaCl. ).. Must have a crystalline structure.. Must be inorganic.. Video: . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTXSwnkieZc. excludes synthetic minerals. inorganic. non living processes form them. chemically specific. has a unique proportion of elements. crystalline solid. atoms are arranged in specific 3-D patterns. Definition:. Appearance of a fresh mineral surface in reflected light. 1. Metallic Luster. 2. Vitreous Luster- glassy luster. 3. Resinous Luster. 4. Pearly Luster. 5. Silky luster. Pyrite. Quartz. Orpiment. Muscovite. Geo 281: geology for engineers. Geology and Geophysics Department. King Saud University. Minerals: Building. Blocks of Rocks. We begin our discussion of Earth . materials with . an overview of . mineralogy (mineral = mineral and Logy=Study) because . What are the physical characteristics used to distinguish between minerals & rocks?. SWBAT: Explain how scientists use physical characteristics to identify and classify minerals and rocks.. What is a mineral?. Understand how mineral crystals acquire their shape. Understand the characteristics that define a sample as a mineral. Understand that many minerals are composed of similar elements. Understand the connections between minerals and rocks and that many rocks contain similar minerals.