What is a mineral? Detailed answer

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What is a mineral? Detailed answer

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What is a mineral?

A mineral is a substance that is part of the earth's crust and has an inorganic basis.

Sometimes oil, coal and limestone are called minerals, but since they originated from plants and animals that lived on Earth a very long time ago, they cannot be classified as minerals.

Minerals are usually divided into two groups: metallic and non-metallic. Metals include red iron ore (iron), copper ore, bauxite (aluminum). To non-metallic - quartz, asbestos, calcite. Minerals usually occur in the form of crystals.

Minerals and rocks are easy to confuse, but there is a difference between them. The mineral has a certain structure. Its chemical composition is constant regardless of the place of occurrence. A mineral found anywhere in the world will have the same brilliance, hardness (strength) and other characteristics.

Rocks are made up of various minerals. For example, granite is composed of quartz, feldspar, mica, and other minerals. But granite found in one area may contain different amounts of these minerals compared to granite found elsewhere.

Minerals are mined in various places. They can also be found in rocks and sands. They have a different structure. Many minerals crystalline or solidified many years ago from a hot mass called "magma". Diamonds, mica and feldspar are minerals formed from magma.

Some minerals, due to their beauty and rarity, are highly valuable. They are called "precious stones". Among them are diamonds, garnets, topazes and others.

Other minerals are ubiquitous. The most famous is quartz. About 200 varieties of quartz are known, which are distributed in almost all parts of the globe.

Author: Likum A.

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