Matter and Minerals Lesson Outline / Study Guide

Matter and Minerals ¨C Lesson Outline / Study Guide

1. Elements

? Definition: Substance that cannot be changed into simpler forms of matter by ordinary

chemical processes.

? 8 most common minerals in continental crust.

? Silicon and Oxygen are the most common elements in Earths continental crust.

? Silicon and Oxygen form the basic building block for the continental crust: The

Silicon-Oxygen Tetrahedron.

2. Density and Specific Gravity

? Density = mass ¡Â volume. Density of water is 1.000 gram/cm3

? Specific Gravity is used to compare the weight of elements, minerals and rocks. It is

a ratio, or comparison, of a liquid or solid to an equal volume of water.

3. Native Elements and Compounds

? Some elements occur in nature (e.g., gold, graphite, sulfur)

? Compounds occur when 2 or more elements combine.

4. Atoms and Atomic Theory

? Atoms have 3 fundamental subatomic particles: Electrons (-), Protons (+), and

Neutrons (0).

? Electrons have a negative electrical charge (-).

? Protons have a positive electrical charge (+).

? Neutrons have a neutral electrical charge (0).

? Electrons orbit the nucleus of an atom in shells and weigh virtually nothing.

? Protons and neutrons exist inside the nucleus of the atom and each weigh a

unit weight of 1.

? Atomic number = number of protons in an atom.

? Atomic weight = number of protons + neutrons in an atom.

? Atoms try to form stable compounds by achieving 8 electrons in the outermost shell

through the process of sharing or exchanging electrons.

? Atoms try to be electrically neutral.

5. Atomic Bonds

? The most important atomic bonds include covalent and ionic bonds.

? Covalent bonds: Atoms ¡°share¡± electrons.

? Ionic bonds: Atoms ¡°exchange¡± electrons.

? The bonding of atoms (or elements) forms compounds. Compounds will commonly

have a characteristic crystal shape.

? Isotopes are elements with a varying number of neutrons.

6. Silicon-Oxygen Tetrahedron

? The basic building block of the Earth¡¯s continental crust.

? Formed of 1 silicon atom and 4 oxygen atoms (Si04).

7. Mineral Groups

? The silicate mineral group is by far the largest and most important group of minerals.

? Silicates comprise most of the rock-forming minerals.

? Silicon-Oxygen Tetrahedrons form various structures in silicate minerals (single, ring,

chain, sheet and 3D structures).

? Mineral definition: Naturally occurring, inorganic solid, with orderly internal structure,

and characteristic chemical composition.

? Other mineral groups include:

- Native elements (single elements)

- Carbonates

- Halides

- Oxides

- Sulfides ¨C Most important mineral group for providing metal ore deposits.

- Sulfates

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download