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2: Minerals

  • Page ID
    12648
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    • 2.1: Materials of Earth’s Crust
      This page discusses the Earth's crust, primarily made of minerals like silicates, and the formation of various rock types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. It highlights the importance of museums and geological formations in understanding these materials. The rock cycle, involving processes like weathering, erosion, and pressure, plays a crucial role in transforming rocks and helps geologists piece together Earth's geological history and evolution.
    • 2.2: Atoms to Molecules
      This page explains that all matter is composed of atoms, which have a nucleus of protons and neutrons and orbiting electrons. Atomic mass is based on protons and neutrons. Atoms can become ions by gaining or losing electrons, resulting in cations and anions. The page also describes how atoms bond to form molecules, leading to the creation of compounds like water.
    • 2.3: States of Matter
      This page covers the fundamental states of matter: solid, liquid, gas, and plasma, as well as lesser-known states like Bose-Einstein condensates. It explains particle arrangements, fixed versus variable shapes, and phase transitions under varying conditions. Additionally, it discusses nematic liquid crystals, magnetically ordered materials (ferromagnets, antiferromagnets, ferrimagnets), and their technological applications.
    • 2.4: Mineral Identification
      This page details the identification of minerals through physical properties such as color, luster, streak, hardness, cleavage, and fracture. It emphasizes that streak is a more reliable identification method than color. Luster distinguishes between metallic and non-metallic minerals, and Mohs Hardness Scale measures hardness. Cleavage indicates the smooth breaking planes of minerals, while fracture describes uneven breaks.
    • 2.5: Minerals and Mineral Groups
      This page defines minerals as inorganic solids with specific chemical compositions and describes their classification into groups by composition, such as silicates and carbonates. It explores the distinguishing features of different mineral groups and presents a comparison of two minerals with similar appearances but different compositions to encourage critical thinking about classification criteria.
    • 2.6: Mineral Formation
      This page covers mineral formation from melted rock, solutions, and heated materials, distinguishing between magma and lava. It explains that slow magma cooling yields large crystals, while rapid lava cooling produces smaller ones. Additionally, minerals can form from evaporating water or heated underground interactions with rocks, resulting in mineral veins. Overall, it highlights the various processes that contribute to mineral diversity.
    • 2.7: Mining and Mineral Use
      This page covers mineral mining, detailing extraction methods from ores, including surface (open-pit and placer) and underground mining techniques. It explores the uses of minerals, their environmental impacts, and the importance of land reclamation post-mining. The page also discusses the value of gemstones and minerals in various applications and concludes with key learning points.


    This page titled 2: Minerals is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lumen Learning via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.