1. MINERALS
Identify common rock-forming minerals using their
physical and chemical properties.

2. Dolomite Mining in Cebu
Dolomite 2
It type of limestone, the carbonate fraction
of which is dominated by the mineral
dolomite, calcium magnesium carbonate
[CaMg(CO3)2].

3. 3
What are their
differences?

4. 4
MINERALS
They make up Earth’s solid part and provide us
valuable resources. Scientists have identified
over 4,000 different minerals.
A small group of these minerals make up almost 90% of
the rocks of Earth’s crust which are known as the
common rock-forming minerals.

5. 5

6. That Mineral Looks
Familiar ?!
halite (salt) for
cooking
graphite (pencil)
for writing
gold and quartz as
jewelry
snowflakes is also a
mineral!
It possess the properties as
a mineral.
But, what’s the
requirement to
become a mineral?
Let’s learn more..
6
There are a lot of common minerals that you’ll probably encounter everyday. Here are
some of them. Can you identify them?

7. ✓ Naturally occurring
✓ Inorganic
✓ Solid
✓ Definite chemical composition
✓ Ordered crystal structure
5 Requirements that must be met in order for a substance to be classified as a mineral
 It is NOT a by-product of living things.
 It is a NOT liquid or gas at standard temperature and pressure.
 It means that all occurrences of that mineral have a chemical
composition identical within a specific limited range.
 Atoms in a mineral are arranged in a systematic and repeating pattern
7MINERALS
It is NOT man-made or machine generated.

8. To be considered a common rock-forming mineral, a mineral must be:
8Common Rock-forming Minerals
✓one of the most abundant minerals in
Earth’s crust
✓one of the original minerals present
at the time of a crustal rock’s
formation
✓an important mineral in determining
classification of a rock

9. 9Common Rock-forming Minerals
✓plagioclase
feldspars
✓alkali
feldspars
✓quartz
✓pyroxenes
✓amphiboles
✓micas
✓clays
✓olivine
✓calcite
✓dolomite

10. 10Rock-Forming Minerals
in Major Rock Types:
Basalt and gabbro account for most of the
rock in the oceanic crust, granite (rhyolite)
and andesite (diorite) represent abundant
rock types of the continental crust.
Sandstone, shale and carbonates represent
the common materials in the sedimentary
cover of continents and ocean basins.
This chart shows the relative abundance of
the common rock forming minerals in some
of Earth's most abundant rock types.

11. 11
Mineral Primary Occurrence
Ferromagnesian silicates
Olivine igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks
Pyroxene group
Augite most common igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks
Amphibole group
Hombiende most common igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks
Biotite All rock types
Nonferromagnesian silicates
Quartz All rock types
Potassium feldspar group
Orthociase, microcine All rock types
Plagiociase feldspar group All rock types
Muscovite All rock types
Clay mineral group Soils, sedimentary rocks,
some metamorphic rocks
Carbonates
Calcite Sedimentary rocks
Dolomite Sedimentary rocks
Sulfates
Anhydrite Sedimentary rocks
Gypsum Sedimentary rocks
Halides
Halite Sedimentary rocks
Important
Rock-
forming
Minerals

12. 12
MINERALOGY
The study of minerals and their properties
(chemical and physical).
is a subject of geology specializing in the
scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure,
and physical (including optical) properties of
minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific
studies within mineralogy include the processes of
mineral origin and formation, classification of
minerals, their geographical distribution, as well
as their utilization.

13. 13
MINERALOGIST
▪ is a scientist trained in mineralogy or a
person who studies minerals.
Mineralogists determine the physical and chemical properties
of minerals, how to efficiently retrieve them from ores and
how to process them.

14. 14Physical and
Chemical Properties
of Minerals

15. 15PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
❑ Color
❑ Crystal Form/Habit
❑ Hardness
❑ Streak
❑ Luster
❑ Cleavage or Fracture
❑ Specific Gravity
❑ Other properties
(taste, odor..)
▪ are the characteristics which can be
observed and determined easily

16. 16
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
COLOR
▪ It is the most obvious property but not always definitive.
▪ It can also tell the impurities present in a mineral. Example, the same
mineral can be in different colors because of different impurities.
▪ It is reliable for opaque and metallic minerals but not on transparent
or translucent minerals.

17. 17
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
CRYSTAL FORM or HABIT
▪ It is the morphology of the crystal growth.

18. 18
HARDNESS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
▪it is a measure of the resistance of a
mineral (not specifically surface) to
abrasion.
▪ It is measured using a hardness scale
designed in 1892 by Friedrich Mohs, a
German geologist/ mineralogist which is
known as the Mohs Scale of Hardness

19. 19
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
HARDNESS
Mohs Scale of Hardness
It measures the scratch resistance of
various minerals from a scale of 1 to
10, based on the ability of a harder
material/mineral to scratch a softer
one.

20. Streak Test
20
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
STREAK
▪ It refers to the color displayed in finely powdered
form left behind when rubbed on a rough surface.
▪ It is definitive.

21. 21
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
CLEAVAGE or FRACTURE
▪CLEAVAGE is how smoothly the
minerals break. If the minerals
break apart in similar pieces, it is
said to have good cleavage.
▪FRACTURE is when a mineral
breaks like a piece of glass with
uneven, jagged edges,

22. 22
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
CLEAVAGE or FRACTURE

23. Galena
Shale
23
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
LUSTER
▪ it is the quality and intensity of reflected light
exhibited by the mineral.
A. Metallic Luster – generally opaque and exhibit a
resplendent shine similar to a polished metal
B. Non-metallic Luster – vitreous (glassy), adamantine
(brilliant/diamond-like), resinous, silky, pearly, dull
(earthy), greasy, among others.

24. For example, a bucket of silver (SG 10) would
weigh ten times more than a bucket of water.
24
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
SPECIFIC GRAVITY
▪ It is the ratio of the
density of the mineral
and the density of water
▪ This parameter indicates
how many times more
the mineral weighs
compared to an equal
amount of water (SG 1).

25. 25
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
Other Properties
❑ MAGNETISM
(ex: magnetite is strongly magnetic)
❑ ODOR (ex: sulfur has distinctive smell)
❑ TASTE (ex: halite is salty)
❑ REACTION TO ACID
(ex: calcite fizzes with acid as with dolomite but
in powdered form)

26. Techie Mineralogist
26
▪ Get your activity sheets and perform activities Part 1 -3.
Take Note:
A mineralogist is a person who
studies the formation, occurrence,
properties, composition, and
classification of minerals

27. 27
Techie Mineralogist
On this activity, you’ll help this
mineralogist identify the physical and
chemical properties of the minerals that
he found. To help him, you’ll use a techie
way of identifying minerals – through your
mobile phone.

28. PART 1: Identifying Physical Properties
28Techie Mineralogist
Directions:
❑ Download and install the “Smart Geology”
application in your mobile phone.
❑ Use the “Detect Hand-specimen” button
to identify the name of the following
rock-forming minerals using their provided
physical properties (written in your
activity sheets). The pictures provided in
your activity sheet can also help you
identify the minerals.

29. 29
PART 2: Identifying Chemical Properties
Techie Mineralogist
❑ Your main task to fill in the blanks with the required
information that you can obtain using your Smart Geology
application.
❑ Go to “List of Minerals” button and type in the name of the
minerals below to identify their chemical formula. Write it
down below each listed mineral. Examples are given like
Gold is Au and Quartz is SiO2.
❑ Once you identify the chemical formula of each mineral,
analyze what is common between the minerals on the same
column. Write your answer on the space provided.

30. 30
PART 2: Identifying Chemical Properties
Techie Mineralogist
What is common between the minerals on the same column?
Write your answer on the space provided.

31. 31
Before you proceed to the next
lesson and activities, make sure
you are done with Activity Part
1 and 2.

32. 32
Are you sure you are done?
Okay. So, let’s proceed …

33. In Activity Part 2 : Identifying Chemical
Properties, you have answered the table below.
Column
No. Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 Column 6 Column 7
Name of
Mineral
and
its
Chemical
Formula
Gold
Au
Quartz
SiO2
Hematite
Fe2O3
Gypsum
CaSO4,2H2O
Pyrite
FeS2
Calcite
CaCO3
Chlorite
ClO2-
Bismuth
__________
Olivine
__________
Magnetite
__________
Barite
__________
Galena
__________
Dolomite
__________
Fluorite
__________
Diamond
__________
Talc
__________
Chromite
__________
Anhydrite
__________
Bornite
__________
Malachite
__________
Halite
__________
Chemical
Composition Element
Element +
__________
Element +
__________
Element +
__________
Element +
__________
Element +
__________
Element +
__________
Now, let us check if your analysis on the given data are correct.
33

34. Element
Element +
SiO4
Element + O2
Element +
SO4
Element + S2
Element +
CO3
Element +
Halogens
Native Silicate Oxide Sulfate Sulfide Carbonate Halide
Gold Quartz Hematite Gypsum Pyrite Calcite Chlorine
Bismuth Olivine Magnetite Barite Galena Dolomite Fluorine
Diamond Talc Chromite Anhydrite Bornite Malachite Halite
34CHEMICAL PROPERTIES of MINERALS
The most stable and least ambiguous basis for classification of
minerals is based on their chemical compositions.

35. 35Techie Mineralogist
PART 3: ALL ABOUT MINERALS

36. 36
PART 4: Minerals at Home
Techie Mineralogist
Look for at least 5 materials/appliances in your home that
contains minerals and identify their physical and chemical
properties. Also include its common uses. You can also check
this website for reference:
http://www.mineralogy4kids.org/minerals-your-house
If time permits, you can also do the activities found here:
https://www.mineralsed.ca/site/assets/files/3864/minerals_in
_your_home_intermediate_web.pdf
To learn more about minerals, you can also perform this activity.

37. Tadaaa!
That’s all for today.
Kindly submit your Activity
Sheets to your teacher.
Have a nice day. GBUA!

38. REFERENCES
• Bayo-ang, R., Coronacion, M., Jorda, A., & Restubog, A.
(2016). Earth and Life Science for Senior High School. (M.
Moncada, Ed.) Quezon City, Philippines: Educational Resources
Corporation.
• Website: https://geology.com/minerals/rock-forming-
minerals/
• Website: https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-identify-
a-Mineral/
• Slideshare: https://www.slideshare.net/AbbieMahinay/ib-
earth-and-earth-systems
• Various internet sources
• Photos from : Creative Commons, Pixabay.com, Flickr.com
38