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.