Module 5: Minerals

Minerals are everywhere, from the food you eat, to the products you use every day. All humans will rely on minerals in their daily lives. Minerals are found in almost every manufactured product. While exploring this module, you learned that minerals are naturally occurring solids. Minerals have a chemical composition and a definite crystalline structure.

Elements are the building blocks of minerals. Some elements are minerals on their own.  An atom is the smallest particle of matter that retains the properties of an element. Atoms have a nucleus that contains protons and neutrons, and a electron cloud that holds electrons surrounding the nucleus. The composition of an atom's structure determines which element forms. 

There are thousands of minerals found on Earth, but only a handful are considered common. Minerals are classified into seven groups according to their chemical composition. Identifying minerals can be difficult based on appearance alone, so geologists use a series of physical tests including color, luster, hardness, breakage, and streak in order to correctly identify minerals.