Rock Forming

Minerals
QUARTER 1 – LESSON 3
LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

Identify common rock-forming minerals

using their physical and chemical
properties. (S11/12ES-1a-9)
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
1. Distinguish minerals from non-minerals;
2. Demonstrate understanding about properties of
minerals;
3. Identify rock-forming minerals using their
properties; and
4. Recognize the importance of rock-forming minerals
to society.
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
Mineral- a naturally-occurring inorganic substance with a definite
chemical composition and unique crystalline structure.
Inorganic substances- those that are not derived from a living
matter.
Crystal- a solid material composed of an element, a compound or a
mixture whose internal arrangement of atoms or molecules exhibits
a repetitive pattern.
Mass -the amount of material present in an object.
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
Volume - the amount of space occupied by an object.
Water Displacement Method -a means of finding the
volume of a solid by submerging it into water. The
volume of the solid is equal to the amount of water it
displaces.
Reniform- kidney-shaped.
Splendent- shiny and radiant.
Before we proceed, let us find out what you already know
about minerals. Choose
and write the letter of the best answer in your notebook.
1. Which of the following is a characteristic of a
mineral?
a. It is inorganic.
b. It is solid at room temperature.
c. It has definite chemical composition.
d. a, b and c
2. Which property can be used to identify a mineral?
I. color II. streak III. luster IV. hardness
a. a. I, II and III only
b. II, III and IV
c. I, III and IV
d. all of them
3. What mineral is the hardest according to
Mohs Scale?
a. talc
b. quartz
c. calcite
d. diamond
4. A mineral is harder than glass but softer than
steel. What mineral is being referred to?
a. talc
b. topaz
c. gypsum
d. feldspar
5. Which property is NOT so reliable in
identifying a mineral?
a. color
b. streak
c. density
d. specific gravity
Let us see if you can still recall the different Earth
subsystems. Identify what subsystem is
represented by each item below.
1. air 2. oxygen
3. rocks 4. glaciers
5. plants 6. humans
7. oceans 8. freshwater
9. magma 10. tectonic
plates
WHAT ARE MINERALS?
Minerals are inorganic substances that
are naturally occurring in the
environment. They have a specific
chemical composition. Molecules in a
mineral are arranged in a repeated
structure that form a solid crystal.
WHAT ARE MINERALS?
These molecules are composed of
atoms of certain elements that are held
together by chemical bond. The kind
and amount of elements present in a
mineral affect its physical and chemical
properties.
Table 1 below shows the elements that comprise
almost 99 % of rock-forming minerals.
Properties of Minerals
The chemical properties of minerals comprise
their chemical composition. Gold is made up of
only gold atoms and diamond is only made up
of carbon atoms. But most minerals are made
up of chemical compounds and each of them
has a unique chemical formula.
For example, quartz is a silicate mineral
composed of two oxygen atoms bonded with a
silicon dioxide (SiO2) while feldspar is a silicate
of aluminum plus any of the elements sodium,
potassium, iron, calcium, or barium or their
combinations. The basic building block for all
silicate minerals is the anion silica, SiO4.
Table 2 gives the seven categories of minerals based on their
chemical composition. Minerals within the same group may
exhibit similar characteristics.
The chemical composition of minerals is expressed in their
physical properties which are used to identify them. These
physical properties are given below:
1. Color and streak
Every mineral has its own distinctive
color. However, color alone is not
enough to identify a mineral correctly
because some minerals may have
similar colors.
A more reliable test is the streak test.
This test is done by rubbing a mineral
against a piece of porcelain. Streak is
the color given by a mineral in its
Figure 1. The streak of a mineral can be different from its
powder form. color.
2. Luster
The property of a mineral to reflect light is
given by its luster. Mineral luster can be
metallic or non-metallic.
Metallic luster can be compared to the shine of
a polished metal. Non-metallic luster can be
described as dull, pearly, silky, greasy or glassy.
3. Hardness
Hardness is the resistance of a mineral to scratching. The Mohs Scale of Hardness describes the
hardness of some common mineral in a 1 to 10 scale.
To identify a mineral, its hardness is usually compared
with that of common objects of known hardness in the
Mohs Scale as shown in Table 5.
4. Density and Specific gravity
Density describes the amount of matter present
in a certain amount of space or volume. To get
mineral density, the mass of a sample is taken
using a scale and the volume is determined
through the water displacement method. The
density is then calculated by dividing the mass
by the volume of water displaced.
Specific gravity is a measure of a mineral’s density as
compared to water. It is calculated by dividing the
density of a mineral by the density of water. A
mineral with a specific gravity of 2 is twice as dense
as water.
5. Crystal habit and form
Crystal habit is the growth pattern exhibited by
mineral crystals while crystal form is the external
shape of a mineral. Some common crystal habits are
cube or cubic, prismatic, bladed, tabular, radial,
botryoidal, fibrous and dendritic.
Figure 2 shows the characteristic appearance of
these crystal habits and forms.

Figure 2. Mineral crystals have varying habits and forms.

6. Cleavage and fracture
The tendency of a mineral to break along layers of weak points that form flat
surfaces is called cleavage. Fracture refers to the chipping shape of a mineral
when broken.

The quality of cleavage are categorized into the following:

a. Perfect – Mineral cleaves without leaving any rough surfaces forming full flat planes.
b. Good – Mineral cleaves into smooth surfaces but with some rough edges.
c. Poor – Cleavage is generally characterized by rough surfaces.
d. Indiscernible or indistinct – Cleavage is hardly noticeable.
e. None – Mineral never exhibit any cleavage. Broken surfaces are fractured and rough
7. Diaphaneity
Also known as transparency, diaphaneity is the degree by which the
mineral transmit light. It can be described as opaque, translucent or
transparent.
a. Opaque – The mineral does not transmit light.
b. Translucent – The mineral allows some amount of light to pass
through it in a distorted fashion.
c. Transparent – The mineral allows transmission of light in an
undisturbed manner.
All the properties discussed above are helpful in identifying
minerals. The table below summarizes the observable
properties of some common minerals.
Common Rock-forming Minerals
Although there are around 5000 different mineral
species, only a few form rocks and are called “rock-
forming minerals”. Most minerals are “accessory
minerals” that occur in small quantities within a rock.
The common rock-forming minerals are plagioclase
feldspars, alkali feldspar, quartz, amphiboles, micas,
olivine, pyroxenes, calcite and dolomite.
1. Plagioclase feldspar
Plagioclase feldspar is a group of silicate
feldspar minerals that are rich in sodium
or calcium. These minerals form a solid
solution series ranging from pure albite,
Na(AlSi3O8), to pure anorthite, Ca(Al2Si2O8).
Their color is usually white to gray with
vitreous luster. Their hardness is 6 to 6.5 in
the Mohs Scale. Specific gravity is
between 2.5 to 2.8. Crystals are stubby
prisms and have perfect cleavage.
Plagioclase feldspar
Plagioclase feldspar is the most common rock-forming
mineral. It is found in most igneous rocks including granite,
diorite, gabbro and basalt. It is an important constituent of
many metamorphic rocks such as gneiss.

Plagioclase feldspar are used in ceramic products, as fillers

in paints, plastics and rubber and as gemstones.
2. Alkali feldspar
Alkali feldspar is another group of
silicate feldspar minerals. Minerals
under this group are rich in alkali
metal ions. Their composition ranges
between NaAlSi3O8 and KAlSi3O8.
They are commonly pink to white in
color, with vitreous luster and perfect
cleavage.
Alkali feldspar
Alkali feldspars are very abundant in alkali and acidic
igneous rocks like syenites, granites, and
granodiorites.

Alkali feldspar is used to manufacture glass and

ceramics and are sometimes used as gemstones.
3. Quartz
The third largest group of rock-forming
minerals is quartz.
It is made up of silicon dioxide (SiO2).
Pure quartz is colorless but can have
variations in color due to impurities. It
has a white streak and vitreous luster.
Its crystals are usually hexagonal and
prismatic. Its hardness is 7 and specific
gravity is 2.65.
Quartz
Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals. It is found in
many metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks that are
high in silica such as granites and rhyolites.

Quartz is used in making glass, abrasive, foundry sand,

hydraulic fracturing proppant and as gemstones.
4. Mica
Mica is a collection of hydrous potassium,
aluminum silicate minerals. It has a variety
of colors that ranges from light to dark. It
can be colorless, rosy, purple, silver, gray,
dark green, brown or black. Its luster is
described as splendent but some appear
pearly. Its hardness is 2.5 – 4. Specific
gravity varies with composition at 2.76 to
3.2.
It cleaves perfectly into thin elastic sheets.
Mica
Mica is among the most important rock-
forming minerals. It is found in all rock
types – igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic.
Mica is largely used in the electrical
industry as capacitors.
5. Amphiboles
Amphiboles are also silicate
minerals. They are generally black or
brown in color but can also be dark
green, white, gray, colorless or pale
green. They have a white streak and
vitreous luster. Their hardness is
about 5-6. Crystal habit can be
columnar to fibrous to granular.
Amphiboles
Amphiboles are component of many
igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Amphiboles are used in construction as
paving stones and as a veneer or facing on
buildings, as crushed stone for road and
railroad bed.
6. Pyroxene
Pyroxene minerals belong to the silicate
group that generally contain magnesium,
iron, calcium and aluminum. They are
usually dark brown or black but some occur
in a wide range of colors.
They have white streak and vitreous to dull
luster. Their hardness is 5 to 7 while
specific gravity is 3 to 4. Their cleavage
often have nearly square cross-section
Pyroxene
Pyroxenes are found in igneous and
metamorphic rocks throughout the world.
Pyroxenes are used as crushed stone and
dimension stones, as gem materials, and as an
important source of lithium.
7. Olivine
Another group of silicate minerals is olivine.
Their chemical composition range between
Mg2SiO4 and Fe2SiO4. They are usually
green in color but can be yellow green,
bright green, brownish-green or brown. They
have colorless streak and vitreous luster.
Their hardness ranges from 6.5 – 7. Specific
gravity is 3.2 to 4.4.
They exhibit poor cleavage and brittle with
conchoidal fracture.
Olivine
Olivine is typically found in igneous rocks such
as basalt, gabbro and peridotite.

Olivine is commonly used as a gemstones.

8. Calcite
Calcite is a rock-forming mineral from
the carbonate group. Its chemical
formula is CaCO3. It is usually white
but can also occur as colorless, gray,
red, green, blue, yellow, brown or
orange. It has a white streak and
vitreous luster. Its hardness is 3 and
specific gravity is 2.7. It cleaves
perfectly into three directions.
Calcite
Calcite is found everywhere in sedimentary,
metamorphic and igneous rocks. It is a principal
component of limestone and marble which
make up a good portion of the crust.
Calcite is used as an acid neutralizer, a low-
hardness abrasive and a soil conditioner.
9. Dolomite
Dolomite is a calcium magnesium
carbonate with a chemical
composition of CaMg(CO3)2. Its color
can be colorless, white, pink, green,
gray, brown or black. It has a white
streak and a vitreous to pearly luster.
Its hardness is 3.5 to 4 at Mohs
Scale.
Its specific gravity is 2.8 to 2.9. It has
a perfect cleavage.
Dolomite
Dolomite is a primary component of the sedimentary
rock dolostone, of the metamorphic rock dolomitic
marble and of the sedimentary rock dolomitic
limestone.
Dolomite is useful as construction aggregate. It is a
source of magnesia for the chemical industry and
agricultural soil treatments.
SUM UP!
• Minerals are inorganic, naturally-occurring,
crystalline solids with definite chemical
composition.
• The chemical property of a mineral
constitutes its chemical composition which is
expressed in its physical properties.
SUM UP!
• Some physical properties of minerals are color and streak,
hardness, cleavage and fracture, luster, crystal form and
habit, density, specific gravity and diaphaneity. These
properties are used to identify minerals.
• Although there are thousands of mineral, only very few
groups are involved in rock-formation. Major rock-forming
minerals are plagioclase feldspar, alkali feldspar, quartz
micas, amphiboles, pyroxene, olivine, calcite and dolomite.
SUM UP!
• Minerals are used in a wide array of products such
as jewelries, ceramics, dyes, salts, cosmetics and
technologies. Minerals are also important in the
electrical, steel and construction industries.
ACTIVITY
Guide Questions:
1. In what way are sugar and salt similar?
2. In what way are sugar and salt different?
3. Are sugar and salt both minerals? Explain your
answer.
4. What characteristics must a substance possess so
that it can be considered as a mineral?
 Activity 3
Gold or Not?
Let’s see if you would have the same thought as the
girl in the story. Read the short story in the next page
and answer the questions that follow. Write your
answer in your notebook.
Questions:
1. What is the short story about?
2. Where did Dani and her family go? What is this place known for?
3. What did Dani find in the river?
4. What did she think it was?
5. Why do you think Dani thought that way?
6. What property did Dani consider in testing the nugget?
7. If you were Dani, how would you conclude after doing the tests? Was the nugget
actually a gold? Explain.
8. What other tests can be done to verify Dani’s findings?