Minerals
A mineral is a chemical that creates a rock. A mineral is naturally occurring, that means it is natural not man made.
Minerals are very important resources in British Columbia.
Minerals are very important resources in British Columbia.
How to Identify a Mineral
When identifying a mineral you must go through the 6 step process.
Step 1 : Colour :
Step 1: Colour ; Take note of the colour of the rock. This is one of the least important steps.
Step 2 : Streak :
Take a tile plate and scratch the rock against it, then take note of the colour of the streak.
Step 3 : Lustre :
Step 3: Lustre : Lustre is the shine or look or feel of the rock. Take note of if the rock is metallic or non-metallic. Then record the following:
Vitreous - glassy, bright (shines like glass).
Resinous - a resin-like shine (resembling amber for example).
Greasy - a dull sheen, has the appearance of being coated with an oily substance.
Pearly - a whitish iridescence (resembling pearl for example).
Silky - a sheen like that of a fibrous material, e.g. silk.
Adamantine - a brilliant lustre such as that of a diamond.
Earthy - like the surface of unglazed pottery.
Vitreous - glassy, bright (shines like glass).
Resinous - a resin-like shine (resembling amber for example).
Greasy - a dull sheen, has the appearance of being coated with an oily substance.
Pearly - a whitish iridescence (resembling pearl for example).
Silky - a sheen like that of a fibrous material, e.g. silk.
Adamantine - a brilliant lustre such as that of a diamond.
Earthy - like the surface of unglazed pottery.
Step 4 : Hardness :
A mineral's hardness is tested by Moh's Hardness Scale.
If copper is 4.5 scratch a penny or coin on the rock. If the coin leaves a mark it will most likely be a hardness level less than 4.5.
Step 5: Fracture or Cleavage :
To test fracture or cleavage you must break off a piece of the rock and if the side is very rough and edgy that means the rock has fracture. If you break off a piece and the side is smooth that means the rock has cleavage.
Step 6: Crystal Structure :
Halite – cubic
Wulfenite – tetragonal
Corundum – hexagonal
Topaz – orthorhombic
Gypsum – monoclinic
Albite – trielinic
If you follow those steps you will most likely be able to tell what kind of mineral it is.
Rocks
Rocks make up most of the Earth's Crust. Rock is usually a mixture of common minerals. Rocks can be hard or soft. They can be as small as a grain of rice or as large as a house. They are all around us. There are many kinds of rock.
The three main types of rocks are:
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Igneous:
Igneous rocks are formed either underground or above ground. When the rocks are made above ground that means that they are extrusive rocks, when They are formed from magma which is melted rock. The magma can get caught in small pockets in the Earth. Then the magma in the pockets cool slowly creating the igneous rock, because it is cooled slowly the rocks crystal structure will be more visible.
Igneous rocks can also be formed from an erupting volcano. When the volcano erupts the magma rises above the earths surface and then it is called lava. The lava cools very quickly and hardens to make igneous rock.
Examples of Igneous rocks are: Granite, Quartz, pumice, and obsidian.
Sedimentary:
Sedimentary rocks start out as small pebbles and little bits of our Earth. These little pieces are washed down a stream or to the the bottom of rivers, lakes and oceans. Eventually they are pressed together in layers to form sedimentary rocks. Then they begin to break down by weathering and erosion.
Examples of Sedimentary rocks are: conglomerate, sandstone, shale and limestone.
Metamorphic:
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have changed from chemical reactions. In other words when a rock changes from one type of rock to another. Kind of like when a Transformer changes into a car (Metamorphosis). When the heat and pressure apply to the rock it causes the chemicals to change in the rock making it into a different type of rock called a Metamorphic rock. A rock may start off to be an Igneous rock or Sedimentary rock but then turns into a metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks are only formed inside the earth.
Examples of Metamorphic rocks : Marble and Shale.
The three main types of rocks are:
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Igneous:
Igneous rocks are formed either underground or above ground. When the rocks are made above ground that means that they are extrusive rocks, when They are formed from magma which is melted rock. The magma can get caught in small pockets in the Earth. Then the magma in the pockets cool slowly creating the igneous rock, because it is cooled slowly the rocks crystal structure will be more visible.
Igneous rocks can also be formed from an erupting volcano. When the volcano erupts the magma rises above the earths surface and then it is called lava. The lava cools very quickly and hardens to make igneous rock.
Examples of Igneous rocks are: Granite, Quartz, pumice, and obsidian.
Sedimentary:
Sedimentary rocks start out as small pebbles and little bits of our Earth. These little pieces are washed down a stream or to the the bottom of rivers, lakes and oceans. Eventually they are pressed together in layers to form sedimentary rocks. Then they begin to break down by weathering and erosion.
Examples of Sedimentary rocks are: conglomerate, sandstone, shale and limestone.
Metamorphic:
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have changed from chemical reactions. In other words when a rock changes from one type of rock to another. Kind of like when a Transformer changes into a car (Metamorphosis). When the heat and pressure apply to the rock it causes the chemicals to change in the rock making it into a different type of rock called a Metamorphic rock. A rock may start off to be an Igneous rock or Sedimentary rock but then turns into a metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks are only formed inside the earth.
Examples of Metamorphic rocks : Marble and Shale.
Rock Cycle
Rocks start out as liquid magma beneath the earths surface. When they cool they become hard and could turn into igneous rock. Igneous rock gets broken down by erosion and weathering. Then it can possibly become sedimentary rock. Heat and pressure below the Earth's surface causes the sedimentary rock to change in a metamorphic rock.