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Chemical and Physical Properties of Minerals

The document provides an overview of minerals, defining them as naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a fixed structure and chemical composition. It details the physical properties of minerals, such as color, streak, luster, specific gravity, hardness, cleavage, tenacity, and crystal habit, as well as their chemical properties, including solubility and melting point. Common rock-forming minerals like quartz, feldspar, mica, pyroxene, amphibole, and olivine are also described, highlighting their characteristics and uses.

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24 views4 pages

Chemical and Physical Properties of Minerals

The document provides an overview of minerals, defining them as naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a fixed structure and chemical composition. It details the physical properties of minerals, such as color, streak, luster, specific gravity, hardness, cleavage, tenacity, and crystal habit, as well as their chemical properties, including solubility and melting point. Common rock-forming minerals like quartz, feldspar, mica, pyroxene, amphibole, and olivine are also described, highlighting their characteristics and uses.

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Macatangay, Rima Lea M.

Earth and Life Science


G12-HUMSS Chemical and Physical Properties of
Minerals

Minerals
A mineral is a naturally occurring, Inorganic, solid material that has a fixed structure and a
definite chemical composition. In order for something to be considered a mineral, it should
satisfy all these criteria:
a. It is a naturally occurring substance.
b. It is an inorganic substance.
c. It has an orderly internal structure.
d. It has a fixed, (or uniformly variable) chemical composition.

Physical Properties of Minerals


Physical properties are useful when working in the field, where there is usually no access to
complex analytical techniques. Although a particular mineral has different forms, the
fundamental physical properties are still the same. Useful physical properties to identify a
mineral include color, streak, luster, specific gravity, hardness, cleavage, tenacity, and crystal
habit.
The color of a mineral depends on the elements which constitute the crystal lattice the
arrangement. of atoms, or groups of atoms, in a specific pattern and with high symmetry. The
reflection of certain wavelengths of light by the crystal lattice results in the color perceived
by the observer. A lot of minerals. can exhibit same or similar colors. Individual minerals can
also display a variety of colors resulting from impurities and also from some geologic
processes like weathering. Examples of coloring: quartz can be pink (rose quartz), purple
(amethyst), orange (citrine), white (colorless quartz) etc.

Streak is the color of the mineral in its powdered form. It is inherent in almost every mineral,
and is a more diagnostic property compared to color. Note that the color of a mineral can be
different from its streak.
Luster is the relative differences in the opacity and transparency of a mineral as light is
reflected on its surface. This describes the “sparkles’ of the mineral surfaces. There are two
types:
a. Metallic-generally opaque and exhibit a resplendent shine similar to a polished metal
b. Non-metallic-vitreous (glassy), adamantine (brilliant/diamond-like), resinous, silky,
pearly, dull (earthy), greasy, among others
Specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of the mineral to the weight of the water with an
equal volume, This parameter indicates how many times more the mineral weighs compared
to an equal amount of water (SG 1). For example, a bucket of silver (SG 10) would weigh ten
times more than a bucket of water.

Hardness is the measure of the resistance of a surface to abrasions or scratches. It is


generally measured using Mohs Scale of Hardness designed by German
geologist/mineralogist Friedrich Mohs In 1812. The Mohs Scale of Hardness measures the
scratch resistance of various minerals from a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the hardest, 1 being
the softest), based on the ability of a harder material/mineral to scratch a softer one.
Cleavage is the tendency of the mineral to be split or broken along flat surfaces. These planes
exist because the bonding of atoms making up the mineral happens to be weak in those areas.
When minerals break evenly in more than one direction, cleavage is described by the number
of cleavage directions, the angle(s) at which they meet, and the quality of cleavage (e.g.
cleavage in 2 directions at 90°).
Fracture refers to the texture or shape of the mineral’s surface when the mineral breaks into
forms other than flat surfaces.
Tenacity refers to the behavior of the mineral under deformation or stress such as cutting,
crushing, bending, or hitting.

Crystal habit refers to the growth crystal pattern of a mineral as single or aggregated. The
form reflects the supposedly internal structure (of atoms and ions) of the crystal (mineral). It
is the natural shape of the mineral before the development of any cleavage or fracture. A
mineral that do not have a crystal structure is described as amorphous.
Chemical Properties of Minerals
All minerals have a certain arrangement of elements in their crystal structure. They can be
represented. By a chemical formula, which presents the proportions of atoms that constitute
them. For example, the mineral quartz has a chemical formula SiO2. Its crystal structure is a
continuous framework of silicon-oxygen tetrahedra.
The chemical properties of minerals depend on their chemical formula and crystal structure.
Solubility and melting point are chemical properties commonly used to describe a mineral.
Solubility refers the ability of a substance to dissolve in a solvent at a specified temperature,
For example, biotite, a mineral commonly found in igneous rocks, is soluble in both acid and
base solutions. The dissolution releases the loosely-bound potassium ions in the mineral.
Melting point refers to the temperature at which solid turns into liquid. Minerals composed
of atoms that are tightly bonded within the crystal structure have high melting points. For
example, quartz melts above 1670°C.
Common Rock-Forming Minerals
The most common rock-forming minerals are quartz, feldspar, mica, pyroxene, amphibole,
and olivine.
All of the following silicate minerals, except for quartz, are mineral groups.
Quartz has a chemical composition of SIO2. It is glassy-looking hard substance with white
streaks. Despite its hardness, with a Mohs hardness of 7, it is quite brittle. Pure quartz is clear
and transparent. Colored varieties of quartz are due to elemental impurities built into its
lattice. The grains of quartz, in general, are irregular in shape.
Feldspar has a chemical composition of XAI (1-2)Si (3-2)0 where X is K, Ca, or Na. It is
quite hard with a Mohs hardness of 6. It is a light-colored material, usually white, but they
can have lighter shades of red or green. It has a glassy luster. In rocks, feldspar forms
rectangular crystals that break along flat faces.
Mica is any group of hydrous potassium aluminum silicate minerals. The most common
examples are clear muscovite and black biotite. Mica is soft, with Mohs hardness ranging
from 2 to 2.5. It is easily identified by its perfect cleavage, reducing it to thin smooth flakes.
Its shine is responsible for the flashes of light in rocks such as granite and slate.
Pyroxene minerals have a general composition of XY(AI, Si)2Os where X is Ca or Mg and Y
is either Mg, Fe, Al, Augite is the most common of this group. It has a glassy luster with
streaks of white, light green, or light brown. It is generally black in color and has stubby
prismatic crystals. Its key feature is its two cleavages at around 90”.
Amphibole has a dark color, usually black to dark green, with a Mohs hardness ranging from
5 to 6. Homblende is the most common amphibole. It has a glassy luster and an opaque
characteristic. Its crystals are very long and very thin.
Olivine is a silicate mineral with a general chemical composition of (Mg,Fe) SiOs, but
calcium, manganese, and nickel can be substituted for magnesium and iron. It is known for its
distinct olive-green color and commonly used in the gemstone industry as peridot. It is a
glassy looking and. Transparent substance that is almost as hard as quartz. Its crystals have a
granular shape.

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