MINERALS AND
ROCKS
OBJECTIVE:
•Identify common rock-forming minerals
using their physical and chemical
properties.
•Classify rocks into igneous, sedimentary,
and metamorphic.
•Explain how the products of weathering
are carried away by erosion and
deposited elsewhere.
TUBE ICE
SNOWFLAKE
LET’S DEFINE;
•Mineral - is defined as a naturally-occurring,
inorganic solid with a definite chemical
composition and an ordered internal
structure. Minerals are the basic building
blocks of rocks.
• Rock – is a naturally occurring solid
aggregate of one or more minerals. The
aggregate minerals forming the rocks are
held together by chemical bonds.
LET’S DEFINE;
•Weathering
- is a process of breaking down rocks
into smaller particles such as sand, clay,
gravel and other fragments.
•Erosion – is the separation and removal of
weathered rocks due to different agents
like water, wind, and glacier that causes
transportation of the material to where
they are deposited.
Every mineral is unique, but they
exhibit general characteristics.
1.Naturally –occurring → a product
of Earth’s natural processes.
Steel and synthetic diamonds are
created artificially, and therefore,
are not minerals.
2. Inorganic→ Minerals are limited to
substances formed through inorganic
processes, and exclude materials
derived from living organisms which
involved organic processes.
Coal, which is composed of remains of
plants and other inorganic compounds,
is not a mineral.
3. Homogeneous solid – minerals
should have definite volume and rigid
shape
4. Definite chemical composition
– represented by a chemical formula.
Example: Au – Gold, Ag – Silver, NaCl –
Halite, CaF2 - Fluorite
5. Orderly crystalline structure - atoms of
minerals are arranged in an orderly and
repeating pattern.
Volcanic glass, even if it is formed naturally, is
not considered a mineral because it is
amorphous and has no form. Substances that
fulfill all the requirements but not have an
ordered internal structure are called
mineraloids. Example of mineraloids are
amber, obsidian, opal, and pearl.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF
MINERALS
1. LUSTER – refers to how light is reflected from the
surface of a mineral.
a. Metallic –generally opaque
and exit a resplendent shine
similar to a polished metal.
b. Non-metallic – vitreous (glassy),
adamantine (brilliant/
diamond-like), resinous,
silky, pearly, dull (earthy),
greasy, among others.
2. HARDNESS – It is the ability of minerals to
resist scratching.
Friedrich Mohs, a German mineralogist,
developed a hardness scale over 100 years
ago. The hardest mineral known, diamond
was assigned the number 10. It is called the
Mohs Hardness Scale. It ranks the order of
hardness of minerals and some common
objects.
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3. CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE/HABIT – refers to
the characteristic shape of a mineral unit
(either an individual crystal or a group of
crystal).
Isometric System
4. Color – mineral’s color may change
depending on the surface.
5. Streak - is the mineral’s color in
powdered form.
It can be useful for
identifying metallic
and earthy minerals.
Hematite, for example, always gives
a reddish-brown streak no matter
what type of
Luster it displays.
6. Cleavage – is what we see when a
mineral breaks along a specific plane or
planes.
7. Diaphaneity/amount of transparency –
ability to allow light to pass.
8. Tenacity – describes the minerals
reaction to stress.
•Brittleness – a mineral turns into powder
•Malleability – a mineral can be flattened
by pounding with a hammer.
•Ductility – a mineral can be stretched
into wire.
•Flexible but inelastic – minerals are
bent but they remain in the new
position.
•Flexible and elastic – minerals are
bent, and they bring back their
original position.
•Sectility – ability of minerals to be
sliced by a knife.
ROCKS
Petrology – is the scientific study of rocks.
Rocks – are combined aggregation of
minerals. Petrologist classified rocks based
on how they are formed .
Three types of rocks:
1. Igneous – formed from hardening and
crystallization of magma or molten material
that originates deep within the earth.
TWO TYPES OF IGNEOUS ROCK:
a. Extrusive/volcanic rock – forms when
magma makes it way to Earth’s surface
as lava and then cools. The crystals are
very small (fine grained) since the cooling
process is fast.
b. Intrusive/Plutonic – it cools slowly beneath
the Earth surface and are created by
magma. The intrusive igneous rocks have
very large crystals ( coarse grained).
2. Metamorphic – forms from pre-existing
rocks: either metamorphic, igneous,
sedimentary.
Examples: Quartzite, marble, slate, phyllite
• Metamorphism - transformation of one rock type into
another.
2 types of metamorphism
• Regional-due to changes in pressure and
temperature over large region of the crust
• Contact-mainly by heat due to contact with magma
Classification:
•Texture - refers to the size arrangement and
grains within the rock.
•Foliation - any planar arrangement of
mineral grains or structural features within
the rock.
•*Foliated - appeared banded or layered,
contains crystals Example: mica
•Non-foliated - made up of only few
minerals
3. Sedimentary rocks - provide information
about surface conditions that existed in the
Earth’s past.
•Particles of sand, shells, pebbles, and other
fragments of materials called sediments,
accumulate in layers and over long period
of time harden into rocks.
•Compaction-due to increase of pressure of
layered sediments it bind together to form
the sedimentary rocks.
Three types of sedimentary rocks
• Clastic Sedimentary rock - formed from
accumulation of clasts: little pieces of broken rocks
and shells. Examples: conglomerate, breccia,
sandstone, shale
• Chemical - formed when dissolved minerals
precipitate from a solution.
Example: Halite - formed when a body of seawater
becomes closed off and evaporates.
• Organic - rocks formed from the accumulation of
animal debris
Example: Coal - composed of organic matter in the form of
plants fragments.
WEATHERING
• is the process of disintegration (physical) and
decomposition (chemical) of rocks.
• is a process of breaking down rocks into small particles
such as sand, clay, gravel and other fragments.
• Two types of weathering:
1. Mechanical weathering or physical weathering
- is the breakdown of rocks into pieces without any
change in its composition. In this process, the size and
shape of rocks changes and this occurs because of the
following factors.
Factors Description
Due to tectonic forces, granite may rise to form mountain range. After the granite
Pressure ascends and cools, the overlying rocks and sediments may erode. At the point
when the pressure diminishes, the rock expands, cools, and became brittle and
fractured.
Rocks expand and are fractured when expose to high temperature. However, if the
Temperature temperature drops to 0°C (freezing point of water), it also expands and causes
fracture.
Frost Generally, rocks have fracture in its surface and when water accumulates in the
Wedging crack and at that point freezes, the ice expands and breaks the rock apart.
The breakdown of rocks is caused by impact and friction. This primarily occurs
Abrasion during collision of rocks, sand, and silt due to current or waves along a stream or
seashore causing sharp edges and corners to wear off and become rounded.
Organic The roots grow causing penetration into the crack, expand, and in the long run,
Activity break the rock.
Human Activities such as digging, quarrying, denuding forests and cultivating land
Activities contribute to physical weathering.
Burrowing Animals like rats, rabbits and squirrels excavate into the ground to create a space
Animals for habitation.
2. Chemical weathering, there are changes
in the composition of rocks due to the
chemical reactions.
Chemical Description
Reactions
Dissolution It occurs in specific minerals which are dissolved in water.
Examples of these minerals are Halite (NaCl) and Calcite
(CaCO3). The formation of stalactites and stalagmites in caves
are brought about by this chemical reaction.
Hydrolysis Rock-forming minerals like amphibole, pyroxene, and feldspar
react with water and form different kinds of clay minerals.
Oxidation It is the response of oxygen with minerals. If the iron oxidizes, the
mineral in rocks decomposes. Rusting is an example of this
chemical reaction.
WEATHERING
•is an important process in the formation of soil.
Soil is a mixture of grains, organic matter, H2O,
and gas.
•Plants, animals, and humans play an important
role in the erosional process.
•Erosion is the separation and removal of
weathered rocks due to different agents like
water, wind, and glacier that causes
transportation of the material to where they are
deposited.
•The movement of rock or soil down
slopes under the force of gravity is
called mass wasting.
•The example of this are fall, slide,
avalanche, and flow.
•On the other hand, deposition is the
process in which the weathered
materials carried out by erosion settle
down in a particular location.
ASSIGNMENT (SHORT BOND PAPER)
Reflect upon:
Rocks are all around us. It is used for
building materials, cars, roads and
appliances. As a senior high school
student, how can you promote the
sustainable development in utilizing
these resources? Give some
suggestions.
