Podcast
Questions and Answers
What are the two primary elements that make up about 75% of the Earth's crust?
What are the two primary elements that make up about 75% of the Earth's crust?
- Aluminum and magnesium
- Carbon and iron
- Calcium and sodium
- Silicon and oxygen (correct)
Which class of minerals is primarily composed of silicon-oxygen tetrahedrons?
Which class of minerals is primarily composed of silicon-oxygen tetrahedrons?
- Sulfides
- Halides
- Oxides
- Silicates (correct)
What defines a mineral as a sulfide?
What defines a mineral as a sulfide?
- Contains halogen ions
- Contains aluminum cations
- Contains sulfur anions bonded to metals (correct)
- Contains carbonic ions
Which mineral class contains minerals that typically precipitate out of water?
Which mineral class contains minerals that typically precipitate out of water?
Which of the following is an example of a halide?
Which of the following is an example of a halide?
What distinguishes carbonates from other mineral classes?
What distinguishes carbonates from other mineral classes?
Which of the following is true regarding native metals?
Which of the following is true regarding native metals?
How is the external shape of crystals related to their atomic structure?
How is the external shape of crystals related to their atomic structure?
Which characteristic is NOT shared by all minerals?
Which characteristic is NOT shared by all minerals?
What defines the specific atomic arrangement in minerals?
What defines the specific atomic arrangement in minerals?
Why are substances like volcanic glass not considered minerals?
Why are substances like volcanic glass not considered minerals?
Which of the following is a characteristic required for a substance to be classified as a mineral?
Which of the following is a characteristic required for a substance to be classified as a mineral?
What is true about the relationship between graphite and diamond?
What is true about the relationship between graphite and diamond?
Which mineral is represented by the chemical formula SiO2?
Which mineral is represented by the chemical formula SiO2?
Which of the following metals is NOT mentioned as being found in retired cell phones?
Which of the following metals is NOT mentioned as being found in retired cell phones?
Which of these minerals is classified as a mineraloid due to its lack of crystalline structure?
Which of these minerals is classified as a mineraloid due to its lack of crystalline structure?
What is the term used to describe the external shape of a crystal developed during its formation?
What is the term used to describe the external shape of a crystal developed during its formation?
Which of the following physical properties is described as a mineral’s resistance to being scratched?
Which of the following physical properties is described as a mineral’s resistance to being scratched?
Which mineral is considered the softest on the Mohs Hardness Scale?
Which mineral is considered the softest on the Mohs Hardness Scale?
What does 'cleavage' refer to in the context of mineral properties?
What does 'cleavage' refer to in the context of mineral properties?
Which mineral typically does NOT produce a streak on the streak plate due to its hardness?
Which mineral typically does NOT produce a streak on the streak plate due to its hardness?
Which of the following terms describes irregular breaks in a mineral that do not follow any planes?
Which of the following terms describes irregular breaks in a mineral that do not follow any planes?
What general term characterizes minerals based on their crystal structure?
What general term characterizes minerals based on their crystal structure?
The true color of a mineral is typically identified by which property?
The true color of a mineral is typically identified by which property?
What industry primarily utilizes fluorite for the production of hydrofluoric acid?
What industry primarily utilizes fluorite for the production of hydrofluoric acid?
Which of the following is NOT a use associated with halite?
Which of the following is NOT a use associated with halite?
In what application is garnet primarily used?
In what application is garnet primarily used?
Which mineral is used as a dry lubricant and in brake linings?
Which mineral is used as a dry lubricant and in brake linings?
What is the primary industrial use of processed gypsum?
What is the primary industrial use of processed gypsum?
Which mineral is often referred to as 'fools gold' and is used in sulfur production?
Which mineral is often referred to as 'fools gold' and is used in sulfur production?
For which application is quartz best known due to its piezoelectric properties?
For which application is quartz best known due to its piezoelectric properties?
Which of the following items is typically NOT produced using fluorite?
Which of the following items is typically NOT produced using fluorite?
What criteria determine whether a rock or mineral is considered an ore?
What criteria determine whether a rock or mineral is considered an ore?
What type of mining is used for ore minerals that are close to the Earth’s surface?
What type of mining is used for ore minerals that are close to the Earth’s surface?
Which of the following is a method of underground mining?
Which of the following is a method of underground mining?
Which of the following materials is considered a non-metallic resource?
Which of the following materials is considered a non-metallic resource?
What does the milling process primarily involve?
What does the milling process primarily involve?
How does heavy media separation work in the milling process?
How does heavy media separation work in the milling process?
What is a characteristic of flotation in the milling methods?
What is a characteristic of flotation in the milling methods?
Which metallic mineral is specifically mentioned as an example of a metallic resource?
Which metallic mineral is specifically mentioned as an example of a metallic resource?
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Study Notes
Overview of Minerals and Mineral Resources
- Approximately 130 million cell phones are retired in the US annually, weighing about 14,000 metric tons.
- Retired cell phones contain around 2,100 metric tons of copper (Cu), 46 metric tons of silver (Ag), 3.9 metric tons of gold (Au), 2 metric tons of palladium (Pd), and 0.04 metric tons of platinum (Pt).
Definition of Minerals
- Natural: Occur naturally and are not manmade.
- Inorganic: Not derived from living organisms.
- Crystalline Solids: Atoms are arranged in an orderly pattern.
- Definite Chemical Composition: Specific chemical formulas with elements in precise ratios.
- Specific Atomic Arrangement: Organized in regular geometric patterns; substances lacking ordered internal structure are termed mineraloids.
Classification of Minerals
- Silicates: Composed of silicon-oxygen tetrahedrons; major rock-forming minerals such as olivine and quartz.
- Oxides: Contain oxygen anions and metal ions; examples include cuprite (Cu2O) and hematite (Fe2O3).
- Sulfides: Consist of metal cations bonded to sulfide (S2-); examples include galena (PbS) and pyrite (FeS2).
- Sulfates: Contain sulfate ions (SO4) with other elements; gypsum (CaSO4 · 2H2O) is a common example.
- Halides: Composed of halogen ions and metals; includes halite (NaCl) and fluorite (CaF2).
- Carbonates: Contain carbonic ions (CO3)2-; calcite (CaCO3) is a key example.
- Native Metals: Consist of single metals like copper and gold.
Crystal Formation
- Minerals form crystals, which are external geometric forms with ordered internal structures.
- Crystal habit describes the external shape and can be granular, acicular, or encrusting.
Physical Properties of Minerals
- Color: Initial but unreliable indicator; many minerals can appear in different colors.
- Streak: True color of the mineral in powdered form, providing more reliable identification.
- Hardness: Resistance to scratching, measured on Mohs Hardness Scale from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).
- Cleavage: Tendency to break along predetermined planes, while fracture refers to irregular breaks.
- Mineral Uses: Nonmetallic minerals serve various industries, including glass, ceramics, and abrasive materials.
Mineral Applications
- Fluorite: Used in hydrofluoric acid production, ceramics, and toothpaste.
- Garnet: Used in water filtration, electronics, and abrasives.
- Graphite: Functions as a lubricant, hardener, and pencil material.
- Gypsum: Used in plaster, wallboard, and agricultural applications.
- Halite: Used for dietary purposes, food preservation, and industrial applications like sodium hydroxide production.
- Pyrite: Employed in sulfur and sulfuric acid production.
- Quartz: Utilized in electronic applications due to piezoelectric properties and as a gemstone.
Mining Minerals
- Mining refers to the extraction of nonrenewable mineral resources, classified into metallic (e.g., gold, copper) and nonmetallic (e.g., talc, gravel).
- Surface Mining: Suitable for minerals near the surface; includes open pit, quarrying, and strip mining methods.
- Underground Mining: Targets deep mineral deposits below the surface.
Milling Processes
- Extracted materials undergo separation and recovery processes to isolate valuable minerals from waste.
- Heavy Media Separation: Relies on density differences to separate heavy minerals.
- Magnetic Separation: Utilizes magnets to extract magnetic minerals from waste.
- Flotation: Involves agitation to separate minerals based on buoyancy and surface properties.
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