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Mineralogy (Gel 2130) Definition of A Mineral

The document defines a mineral as: 1) A naturally occurring solid that forms through inorganic processes 2) Has a definite but variable chemical composition 3) Has a highly ordered atomic structure that gives it a crystalline form The key aspects of a mineral are that it is naturally formed, has a consistent chemical makeup, and internal atoms are arranged in a systematic pattern. Over time, scientists developed tools like goniometers, microscopes, and X-ray diffraction to better study and define minerals and their crystal structures. The field of mineralogy aims to understand minerals' symmetry, crystal chemistry, associations and methods for identification.

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30 views

Mineralogy (Gel 2130) Definition of A Mineral

The document defines a mineral as: 1) A naturally occurring solid that forms through inorganic processes 2) Has a definite but variable chemical composition 3) Has a highly ordered atomic structure that gives it a crystalline form The key aspects of a mineral are that it is naturally formed, has a consistent chemical makeup, and internal atoms are arranged in a systematic pattern. Over time, scientists developed tools like goniometers, microscopes, and X-ray diffraction to better study and define minerals and their crystal structures. The field of mineralogy aims to understand minerals' symmetry, crystal chemistry, associations and methods for identification.

Uploaded by

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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction

What’s the definition of a mineral ?

Definition of a mineral (Geology 101)

1) Naturally occurring solid

2) Inorganic

3) Definite Chemical Composition

4) Systematic internal pattern


- ordered Atomic Arrangement

Mineralogy (Gel 2130) definition of a mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring homogenous solid

with a definite (but not fixed) chemical composition

and a highly ordered atomic arrangement.

A mineral is usually formed by inorganic processes.

1) Naturally occurring

- Formed by natural processes (incl. kidney stones,


bones, siderite (FeCO3) that ppt in water pipes)

- Synthetic diamonds, emeralds, rubies, etc.


are not minerals

- Chemical compounds are not minerals even if


they have “mineral structures”. E.g. Calcium
Carbonate (CaCO3) added to your Cheerios

2) Homogenous solid

- cannot be subdivided into smaller components


(excludes perthite – Na-rich lamella in a K-rich
feldspar host)

- fluids are not minerals – water, oil, gas, mercury


(mineral water)

- Ice in a glacier is a mineral

3) Definite Chemical Composition

- Quartz - SiO2 – pure substance

- Dolomite – Ca,Mg (CO3)2

- can also contain Mn, Fe, Sr that substitute for


similar sized and charged atoms

- Dolomite is better written Ca(Mg,Fe,Mn,Sr)(CO3)2


(within a range) – geothermometers and
geobarometers

- If concentration of an element exceeds a specific


range we give mineral a new name

3) Definite Chemical Composition

- If concentration of an element exceeds a specific


range we give mineral a new name

e.g. Siderite (FeCO3), Magnesite (MgCO3)…

- Spinels XY2O4 where X = +2 , Y = +3

Spinel – MgAl2O4; magnetite Fe,Fe2O4

4) Systematic internal pattern (crystalline)


- ordered Atomic Arrangement

- internal framework of atoms (ions) that are


arranged in a regular geometric pattern

- if material has no structure is amorphous and


called a mineraloid (e.g. opal, limonite)

- some materials can start off as minerals but the


atomic arrangement can be destroyed by
radiation to produce a metamict material (e.g.
allanite, zircon, many other radioactive minerals)

5) Inorganic processes – the usual case


- Biogenic
- Organic: carbonates (aragonite, calcite, vaterite)
phosphates
silica
sulfur
oxides (magnetite in bird brains)

History of Mineralogy

Early Humans – used hematite and psilomelane


to draw pictures in caves - (25,000 B.C.)

Bronze Age metallurgists (5,000 B.C.)


Egyptian Tomb paintings of smelting metals

Theophratus – (372-287 B.C.) – Greeks

Pliny (the younger) – (~100A.D.)

1556 – Georgius Agricola – De Re Metallica


- translated by Hoover + Hoover 1912

1669 – Nicolas Steno – noted that angles between


different faces were the same despite differences
in crystal size, origin, or habit

1780 – Carangeot – invented contact goniometer to


measure interfacial angles
(external morphology reflects internal structure)

1783 – Rome de l’Isle measured interfacial angles and


formulated law of constancy of interfacial angles.

1784 – Rene J. Hauy – developed the concept that


minerals were made from small building blocks.
- today = molecules forming unit cell.

1801 – He developed system indices for crystal faces

1809 – Wollaston - invented reflecting goniometer


and made crystallography an exact
science

1779 to 1848 – Berzelius – developed chemical


classification system for minerals
1815 – Cordier – started using the microscope to
study minerals and developed the immersion
(water + oil) methods for crushed minerals.

1828 – William Nicol – Developed the polarizing


tool (Nicol prism) for the optical microscope.

1912 – von Laue suggested that crystals would


diffract X-rays
- diffraction demonstrated by Friederich + Knipping

1914 – Bragg+Bragg – First determination of crystal


structure (Nobel prize in Physics)

1960’s – Computerized X-ray diffractometers


- Electron Microprobe
- Scanning Electron Microscope
1970’s - Transmitting Electron Microscope
1990’s - Ion Microprobe

What to learn from course

1) Symmetry – classes
2) Miller Indices
3) Crystal Chemistry – what else fits in
4) Associations
5) Identification

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