TOPIC 7 MINERALS

WHAT ARE MINERALS?

Minerals are found in nature. They are non-living things. Minerals can exist on their own or combine with other minerals in rocks.

• Most minerals combine with other minerals to form rocks. If you look at a rock, you can see small grains or crystals of different colours. These are the minerals. E.g. granite is made up of: feldspar, quartz and mica.
• A few minerals exist on their own and don't combine with other minerals. E.g. diamonds.

What properties do minerals have?

All minerals are different. Each mineral has its own properties.

1. Colour

    They are different colours. E.g. Sulphur is yellow and flourite is often blue.

Sulphur

Flourite

2. Lustre
    Some are shiny and metallic and others are dull. E.g. pyrite and limonite

Pyrite

3. Visibility of crystals
    Minerals contain crystals of different shapes.Sometimes we can see these crystals, like in quartz.
    Sometimes we can't, like in malachite.

Quartz

Malachite

4. Hardness
    Some are salt, like talc. You can scratch them with a sharp object. Others are very hard, like           topaz and diamonds. you can scratch a very hard surface like glass with a diamond.

What do we use minerals for?

We use minerals to make many objects:

• We use gold, silver and diamonds to make jewellery.
• We use graphite to make the lead in pencils.
• We use copper to make the electric cables, pipes and coins.
• We use talc to make talcum powder.
• We use malachite to make paint.
• We use aluminium to make soft drink cans, cars and aeroplanes.
• We use gypsum to make plaster for walls.