Minerals Essay, Research Paper

Minerals

By: Nick Hirschmann

October 25, 1996

Minerals are natural compounds or elements of inorganic nature. There are 92

naturally occuring elements that have specific physical properties, definite

chemical composition, and characteristic atomic structure. You can also find

between 2,000 to 2,500 minerals in the earths crust. Minerals are formed in a

positive response to their environment, most of them to deep for an observer.

Environments in which minerals are formed far beneath the earths surface are

plutonic igneous, pegmatitic, hot temperature vein, moderate temp. vein, low

temp. vein, and a metamorphic environment. Environments in which minerals form

near the earths surface are groundwater, weathering, and sedimentary. Minerals

are divided into groups on the basis of their composition. About one third of

all mineral belong to the group silicates. Other groups are carbonates they

includes calcite, oxide which includes magnetite, sulfides which includes pyrite,

halides which includes halite, sulfates which includes gypsum, and

phosphateswhich eapalite the mineral belongs to. The last group is every

mineral that is a chemical element and is found their uncombined state. The

elements include copper, silver, gold, and so on.