Minerals

</t

Day Topic Materials
1 Minerals and Mineral Identification NTS Mineral Types and Identification
2 Mineral Identification LAB Mineral ID with Follow Up Questions
3 Mineral Groups  Identifying Minerals worksheet
Review Mineral Groups
4 Ore Bodies and Mineral Deposits  Ore Bodies and Mineral Deposits Notes
Ore Bodies and Mineral Deposits Continued
Mineral Identification Questions
5 The Value of Ore Deposits  The Value of Ore Deposits
6 Bowen’s Reaction Series  The Bowen Reaction Series
Bowen Series Lab

Review Ch2 Worksheet (KEY)

TextBook support:

Chapter 1.4 in Physical Geology online text
Chapter 2  in Physical Geology online text

Unit Objectives:

  • Apply your understanding of atoms to explain bonding within minerals
  • Describe mineral lattices and explain how they influence mineral properties
  • Categorize minerals into groups based on their compositions
  • Group Examples (Note: Minerals in BOLD = memorise the formula)
    Oxides Hematite (iron oxide Fe2O3),  magnetite (Fe3O4), water ice (H2O)
    Sulphides Galena (lead sulphide PbS), pyrite (iron sulphide FeS2), chalcopyrite (copper-iron sulphide CuFeS2), sphalerite (ZnS), and molybdenite (MoS2), bornite (Cu5FeS4)
    Sulphates Gypsum (calcium sulphate CaSO4·H2O)  (Note that sulphates are different from sulphides. Sulphates have the SO4–2 ion while sulphides have the S–2 ion)
    Halides Fluorite (calcium flouride CaF2), halite (sodium chloride NaCl) (Halide minerals have halogen elements as their anion — the minerals in the second last column on the right side of the periodic table, including F, Cl, Br, etc. — see Appendix 1.)
    Carbonates Calcite (calcium carbonate CaCO3), the copper minerals malachite and azurite are also carbonates (these minerals will all fizz in acid)
    Phosphates Apatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)) (this is what your teeth are made of)
    Silicates Quartz (SiO2), feldspar (sodium-aluminum silicate NaAlSi3O8), olivine (iron or magnesium silicate (Mg,Fe)2SiO4)   (Note that all igneous rocks are composed of silicate minerals.)
    Native minerals Gold (Au), diamond (C), graphite (C), sulphur (S), copper (Cu)
  • Explain some of the mechanisms of mineral formation
  • Describe some of the important properties for identifying minerals:
 simple crystal shape/habit
 streak/ fracture
 magnetism
 specific gravity (relative density)
 lustre
 hardness
 special properties, such as reaction to dilute HCl
 cleavage
 colour