Matters and Minerals
Sci 405 – Geology
BS Civil Engineering
Mineralogy
Branch of Geology that studies the
composition, properties, and genesis of
minerals
Minerals: Building blocks of rocks
Minerals
N – Naturally occurring
I – Inorganic
D – Definite chemical composition
O – Orderly crystalline structure
H – Homogenously solid
How Minerals Form?
Review on Chemistry
Atom: the smallest particle that
cannot be chemically split
Proton: It is a positively charged
particles
Neutron: A particle with no
charge
Nucleus: The central part of an
atom composed of neutrons and
electrons
Electron: It is a negatively
charged particle surrounding the
nucleus
Review on Chemistry
Atomic Number: Refers to
the number of protons in
an atom
Element: Refers to the
group of atoms of the same
number of protons
Review on Chemistry
Atomic Mass Number:
Mass of a particular atom
𝐴𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑐 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠
= 𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑠 + 𝑁𝑜. 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝑒𝑢𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑠
Review on Chemistry
Isotope: Atoms of the same
element with different atomic
mass number
Stable Isotope: contain nuclei that do
not tend to change spontaneously
Unstable Isotope: have a potential to
undergo radioactive decay
Review on Chemistry
Electron Cloud: A region where electrons
move
Principal Shells: A principal orbit where
an electron revolves around the nucleus
Valence Electron: Refers to the electron/s
on the outermost shell
Review on Chemistry
Chemical Bond: Refers to the force or mechanism
that holds two or more atoms together to form
crystals, then minerals, and then rocks.
Chemical Compound: Refers to the results of
bonding two or more atoms.
Octet Rule: Atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons
until they are surrounded by eight valence electrons.
Review on Chemistry
Types of Chemical Bonding
1. Ionic Bonding: formed by the
attraction of two atoms with
opposite charges
• Usually formed between
metals and non-metals
• Stiff, strong, and frequently
crystalline and solid
• Melts at high temperatures
• Can conduct electricity
when dissolved in water
• Insulators when in solid
state
Review on Chemistry
Types of Chemical Bonding
2. Covalent Bonding: formed by
equal sharing of electrons from
both participating atoms
• Very powerful chemical
bonds that exist between
atoms
• Have a relatively low
melting point and boiling
point
• Cannot conduct electricity
due to the lack of free
electrons
• Not soluble in water
Review on Chemistry
Types of Chemical Bonding
1. Metallic Bonding: refers to the
collective sharing of the sea of
valence electrons between
several positively charged
metal ions
• Conducts electricity
• Conducts heat
• Malleable and ductile
• Have a metallic luster
• High melting and boiling
points
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Optical Properties
• Color
• Most conspicuous characteristics of a mineral
• Thus, the use of color as a means of identification is often
ambiguous or misleading
• Only applicable to some minerals
• Impurities: refers to the elements that are not part of the original
compound of the mineral
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Optical Properties
• Luster
• The appearance of quality of light reflected from the surface of a
mineral.
• Metallic: minerals that have the appearance of a metal
• Submetallic: minerals with metallic appearance but develop a dull
coating or tarnish
• Vitreous: glassy appearance
• Dull/Earth: dull appearance like soil
• Pearly: have an appearance like a pearl or inside a clamshell
• Silky: have an appearance like satin cloth
• Greasy: have an appearance as though coated in oil
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Optical Properties
• Streak
• Color of a mineral in powdered form
• It can also help distinguish between minerals with metallic and
nonmetallic luster
• Metallic minerals have a dense, dark streak.
• Nonmetallic minerals have a light-colored streak
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Optical Properties
• Diaphaneity
• The ability of a mineral to transmit light
• Opaque: when no light is transmitted
• Translucent: when light, but not an image is transmitted
• Transparent: When both light and image are visible
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Crystal Shape
• Habit
• Refers to the common
characteristic shape of a
crystal or aggregate of
crystals
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Mineral Strength
• Tenacity
• Refers to the strength of a mineral or its resistance to breaking or
deforming
• Brittle: Minerals that can be shatter into small pieces when struck
• Malleable: Minerals that can be easily hammered into different
shapes
• Sectile: Minerals that can be cut into thin shavings
• Elastic: Minerals that can bend and snap back into its original shape
after the stress is being released.
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Mineral Strength
• Hardness
• Measures the resistance of a
mineral to abrasion or
scratching
• Mohs Hardness Scale: A
relative hardness scale
which consists of 10
minerals arranged in order
from softest (1) to hardest
(10).
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Mineral Strength
• Cleavage
• Refers to the tendency of a mineral to break along planes of weak
bonding
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Mineral Mass
• Density
• Defines the mass per unit volume of a mineral
• Specific Gravity
• Describes the density of a mineral
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Other Physical Properties
• Sensory Properties
• Taste: e.g., Halite (rock salt)
• Feels: have distinctive feels
• Smell: e.g., Sulfur (rotten egg-like smell)
• Magnetism
• Ability of the mineral to be attracted in a magnet
• E.g., Magnetite
Physical Properties of Minerals
• Other Physical Properties
• Double Refraction
• Ability of a mineral to produce double image when light is
transmitted
• Effervescence
• Ability of a mineral to fizz when an acid is placed
Mineral Groups
Mineral Groups
• Silicates
• Rock-forming minerals
• Composed of Silicon and Oxygen
• Non-silicates
• Economic minerals
• Minerals used for construction
• Other minerals
Silicates
• Rock-forming minerals
• Composed of Silicon and
Oxygen (SiO44-)
• Tetrahedron-shaped bond – a
pyramid shape with four
identical faces
Silicate Structure
Common Silicate Minerals
Important Nonsilicate Minerals
