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    Mineral Classification

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    naweed
    The Dana system is the most commonly used system for classifying minerals and divides them into eight basic classes: native elements, silicates, oxides, sulfides, sulfates, halides, carbonates, and phosphates. It groups minerals based on their chemical composition. This system was developed by Professor James Dana of Yale University in 1848 and remains the standard because it is able to categorize all known minerals into one of the eight classes based on their chemical makeup.

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    Mineral Classification

    Uploaded by

    naweed
    139 views3 pages
    The Dana system is the most commonly used system for classifying minerals and divides them into eight basic classes: native elements, silicates, oxides, sulfides, sulfates, halides, carbonates, and phosphates. It groups minerals based on their chemical composition. This system was developed by Professor James Dana of Yale University in 1848 and remains the standard because it is able to categorize all known minerals into one of the eight classes based on their chemical makeup.

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    The Dana system is the most commonly used system for classifying minerals and divides them into eight basic classes: native elements, silicates, oxides, sulfides, sulfates, halides, carbonates, and phosphates. It groups minerals based on their chemical composition. This system was developed by Professor James Dana of Yale University in 1848 and remains the standard because it is able to categorize all known minerals into one of the eight classes based on their chemical makeup.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    139 views3 pages

    Mineral Classification

    Uploaded by

    naweed
    The Dana system is the most commonly used system for classifying minerals and divides them into eight basic classes: native elements, silicates, oxides, sulfides, sulfates, halides, carbonates, and phosphates. It groups minerals based on their chemical composition. This system was developed by Professor James Dana of Yale University in 1848 and remains the standard because it is able to categorize all known minerals into one of the eight classes based on their chemical makeup.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 3

    Mineral Classification

    The Dana System

    Mineral classification can be an organizational nightmare. With over 3,000


    different types of minerals a system is needed to make sense of them all.
    Mineralogists group minerals into families based on their chemical composition.
    There are different grouping systems in use but the Dana system is the most
    commonly used. This system was devised by Professor James Dana of Yale
    University way back in 1848. The Dana system divides minerals into eight basic
    classes. The classes are: native elements, silicates, oxides, sulfides, sulfates,
    halides, carbonates, phosphates, and mineraloids. The chart below has pictures
    and descriptions of each class with a link to more examples and details.

    It is hard to believe that all of the minerals on earth fit into one of these 8 classes
    but it is true.

    Mineral Classification

    Native Elements This is the category of the pure. Most


    minerals are made up of combinations of chemical
    elements. In this group a single element like the copper
    shown here are found in a naturally pure form.
    Silicates This is the largest group of minerals. Silicates
    are made from metals combined with silicon and oxygen.
    There are more silicates than all other minerals put
    together.The mica on the left is a member of this group.

    Oxides Oxides form from the combination of a metal with


    oxygen. This group ranges from dull ores like bauxite to
    gems like rubies and sapphires. The magnetite pictured
    to the left is a member of this group.

    Sulfides Sulfides are made of compounds of sulfur


    usually with a metal. They tend to be heavy and brittle.
    Several important metal ores come from this group like
    the pyrite pictured here that is an iron ore.

    Slufates are made of compounds of sulfur combined


    with metals and oxygen. It is a large group of minerals
    that tend to be soft, and translucent like this barite.
    Halides form from halogen elements like chlorine,
    bromine, fluorine, and iodine combined with metallic
    elements. They are very soft and easily dissolved in
    water. Halite is a well known example of this group. Its
    chemical formula is NaCl or sodium chloride commonly
    known as table salt.

    Carbonates are a group of minerals made of carbon,


    oxygen, and a metallic element. This calcite known as
    calcium carbonate is the most common of the carbonate
    group.

    Phosphates are not as common in occurrence as the


    other families of minerals. They are often formed when
    other minerals are broken down by weathering. They are
    often brightly colored.

    Mineraloid is the term used for those substances that do


    not fit neatly into one of these eight classes. Opal, jet,
    amber, and mother of pearl all belong to the mineraloids.

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