1. EARTH
MATERIALS AND
PROCESSES

2. WHAT IS MINERAL?
•Rocks are composed of
minerals. A mineral is a
naturally occurring
substance which is
usually solid, crystalline,
stable at room
temperature and
inorganic.

4. WHAT IS MINERAL?
•Minerals themselves are made up of one or more
chemical elements with a definite chemical
composition. Minerals cannot be broken down into
smaller units with different chemical compositions in
the way that rocks can

5. There are several different mineral properties which must be
identified and defined.
WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
OF MINERALS?
1. LUSTER – refers to
how light is reflected
from the surface of a
mineral.

6. WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
OF MINERALS?
1. LUSTER
a. Metallic – generally
opaque and exit a resplendent
shine similar to a polished metal
1. LUSTER
a. Non-metallic – vitreous
(glassy), adamantine
(brilliant/diamond like), pearly, dull
(earthy), greasy, among others

7. WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
OF MINERALS?
2. HARDNESS
It is the ability of mineral to resist scratching.
Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist, developed a hardness
scale over 100 years ago. The hardest mineral known is
Diamond, was assigned the number 10. it is called MOHS
HARDNESS SCALE. It ranks the order of hardness of
minerals and some common objects.

9. WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
OF MINERALS?
3. CRYSTAL FORM/HABIT
refers to the characteristic shape of a mineral unit
(either an individual crystal or a group of crystal).

10. WHAT ARE THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
OF MINERALS?
4. COLOR
One of the most obvious characteristic of a mineral,
but generally not the most useful diagnostic feature.
Minerals are colored because certain wave lengths of light
are absorbed, and the color results from a combination of
those wave lengths that reach the eye.