MINERALS AND THEIR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Definition of mineral:

A naturally occurring, homogeneous, inorganic generally solid

substance having a definite chemical composition and
characteristic crystal structure, color and hardness. Yet,
petroleum (oil) and coal are accepted to be organic minerals.

Ore:
A mineral or an aggregate of minerals from which a valuable
constituent (esp. a metal) can be profitably mined or extracted.

Properties of Minerals:
 Crystal Structure
 Hardness
 Color
 Streak Color
 Transparency
 Lustre
 Appearance (crystal habit)
 Twinning
 Chemical Formula
 Cleavage
 Fracture (Breaking)
 Tenacity

Other Properties
 Magnetism
 Radioactivity
 Electrical Conductance
 Piezoelectricity
 Taste
Kayhan Develi, PhD  Odor 1
Asst. Prof.  Touch
Crystal Structures (The Seven Primative Crystal Systems)
CUBIC
All three axes are equal in
length; all are perpendicular to
one another.
TETRAGONAL
Two of the three axes are equal
in length; all three axes are
perpendicular to one another.
ORTHORHOMBIC
All three axes are unequal in
lenght; all are perpendicular to
one another.
HEXAGONAL
Of four axes, three are of
equal length, are separated
by equal angles, and lie in
the same plane. The fourth
axis is perpendicular to the
plane of the other three
axes.
Kayhan Develi, PhD
Asst. Prof.
TRICLINIC
All three axes are unequal in
length; none is perpendicular to
another.
MONOCLINIC
All three axes are unequal in
length ; two axes are
perpendicular to each other.
RHOMBOHEDRAL
All three axes are of equal
length; none of the axes is
perpendicular to another, but
the crystal faces all have the
same size and shape.
Exceptions of Crystalline structure
Amorphous : without shape = non-crystalline
Cryptocrystalline : crystalline nature is only vaguely revealed
even microscopically
2
Pseudocrystalline : a solid body that looks crystalline
Crystal Structures
HEXAGONAL
CUBIC

All three axes are equal in Of four axes, three are of equal
length; all are perpendicular to length, are separated by equal
one another. angles, and lie in the same
plane. The fourth axis is
perpendicular to the plane of
the other three axes.
TETRAGONAL

TRICLINIC

Two of the three axes are equal

in length; all three axes are
perpendicular to one another.
All three axes are unequal in
length; none is perpendicular
to another.

ORTHORHOMBIC
MONOCLINIC

All three axes are unequal in All three axes are unequal in
lenght; all are perpendicular to length ; two axes are
one another. perpendicular to each other.

Kayhan Develi, PhD 3

Asst. Prof.
Kayhan Develi, PhD
Asst. Prof.
The Mohs Relative Hardness Scale
Hardness
Hardness is the resistance of minerals to being scratched.
Minerals differ in hardness. Thus, one of the most useful
characteristics for identifying a mineral is its hardness.

Of course, this property may be quantified precisely with

complex experimental techniques.

However, for our easy use there is a simple relative scale of

hardness that was developed by Friedrich Mohs in 1822.

The Mohs mineral hardness is the ability of one natural sample

of matter to scratch another mineral.

On the Mohs Hardness Scale, hardness of minerals is

divided into ten categories as follows:

1 talc, 2 gypsum, 3 calcite, 4 fluorite, 5 apatite, 6 feldspar, 7

quartz, 8 topaz, 9 corundum, 10 diamond.

in the ascending order of hardness (i.e., 1 being the softest

while 10 being the hardest). Each mineral progressively harder
True Hardness than the previous one, thus providing a relative scale.

By means of this practical relative scale, the hardness of

minerals can be compared by attempts to scratch them. If one
scratches another, the scratched mineral is softer.

Minerals with higher Mohs numbers will scratch those with 4the
same or lower Mohs numbers, but not vice versa.
Kayhan Develi, PhD 5
Asst. Prof.
Kayhan Develi, PhD Color (Beware)
Asst. Prof.
Typical color of
Sulphur mineral Color in minerals can be very misleading.

The color of metallic minerals is more reliable than that of non-

Idiochromatic minerals
metallic minerals.

For a metallic mineral the color of the fresh surface will always
be about the same.

Hence, one has only to be aware of whether the surface is

Blue Azurite Green Malachite
Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 Red Cinnabar Cu2CO3(OH)2
fresh or tarnished (oxidation) (the way a penny can be shinny
Copper carbonate HgS Copper carbonate or dark).
hydroxide Mercury sulfide hydroxide

Allochromatic minerals For non-metallic, transparent, or translucent minerals, color

may be deceiving, since small changes in chemistry or the
origin of the mineral may change the color drastically, for
example, tourmaline, garnet, topaz, quartz.

Amazonite Idiochromatic minerals are "self colored" due to their

Amazonite Heliodor Rose Quartz composition. The color is a constant and predictable
(orthoclase) Al2Be3(Si6O16) (SiO2)
KAlSi3O8
component of the mineral. Examples are blue Azurite, red
Aluminum beryllium silicate Silicone dioxide (silica)
Blue due to trace lead (Pb) Yellow due to trace iron Pink to rose red due to trace
Cinnabar, and green Malachite.
and water in the feldspar replacing some of Al amounts of titanium, iron
in the crystal structure. (Beryl) or manganese Allochromatic minerals are "other colored" due to trace
Pseudochromatic minerals impurities in their composition or defects in their structure. In
this case, the color is a variable and unpredictable property
of the mineral. Examples are the blue in Amazonite
(orthoclase), yellow in Heliodor (spodumene) and the rose in
rose quartz.

Pseudochromatic minerals are "false colored" due to

Opal
SiO2.nH2O
Hydrated amorphous
form of silica
Variable color due to
tricks in light diffraction
Labradorite
((Ca, Na)(Al, Si)4O8) tricks in light diffraction. In these cases, color is variable
a feldspar mineral but a unique property of the mineral. Examples are the colors
Variable color due to produced by precious opal and the reflections of labradorite.
tricks in light diffraction 6
Kayhan Develi, PhD
Asst. Prof.
The mineral hematite can be steel-grey, silvery, or dark red
in color (i.e., mineral color). Its streak color, however, is
always dark red-brown as shown above.
42. Sulfur (Yellow) 43. Malachite (Green) 44. Pyrite (Black)
45. Goethite (Brown) 46. Fluorite (White) 47. Rhodochrosite (White)
48. Hematite (Red) 49. Zincite (Orange 50. Azurite (Blue)
51. Cinnabar (Red)
Streak Color (Color of Powder)
Streak is the color of the mineral powder.
Streak is observed by scraping the mineral across a piece of
unglazed porcelain, "streak plate".
Such, If a mineral is scraped against the streak plate, it
leaves a powdered mark on the plate. The color of the mark is
streak color.
Each Mineral has a unique characteristic streak color
associated with it. A mineral can be in different colors but it's
streak is always the same color.
For example, steel-grey, silvery, or dark red hematite has
always red-brown streak.
Gold and pyrite are both golden color minerals, but their streak
immediately distinguishes them. Gold produces a golden
streak, but pyrite produces a dark green-black streak.
This property can serve as a ‘Diagnostic’ tool for mineral
characterization since it shows the ‘true color’ (unaffected by
impurities) of the mineral.
Thus, for the identification of minerals, streak color is far more
consistent and reliable than the color of the entire mineral.
This test cannot be used for Minerals harder than the Streak
Plate (Mohs Hardness of 7).
Note: Goethite : Feo(OH), Hematite : Fe2O3, Zincite :
(Zn,Mn)O, Rhodochrosite : MnCO3, Azurite : Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2,
Cinnabar : HgS, Fluorite : CaF2, Pyrite : FeS2
Malachite : Cu2CO3(OH)2 7
 Kayhan Develi, PhD
Transparency (Passing of Light) Asst. Prof.

Transparency is how light behaves when it is shone through a

mineral. It is a measure of how clearly an object can be seen
through a crystal

Galena
If it is transparent, light travels through the specimen with little
Gypsum Fluorite
CaSO4·2H2O CaF2 PbS obstruction, giving a clear view of an object behind it.
Transparent Translucent Opaque
If it is opaque, no light passes through the specimen no matter
how thin it is.

If it is translucent, light passes through the specimen but the

object behind it cannot be seen clearly.
Lustre

Remember that a transparent mineral can be colorless or

colored. The term "clear" does not imply that the mineral is
Quartz Gold Pyrite (FeS2)
Vitreous Shiny Shiny
without color.
for

Lustre (Surface Reflection)

Lustre describes the surface appearance of a mineral - how it

Examples

reflects light. it is important in mineral identification.

A metallic mineral is shiny like metal, e.g. copper, silver, gold.

Muscovite Diamond Kaolinite The following is a list of other terms that describe non-metallic
Pearly Adamantine Dull
types of lustre.
Some

Adamantine: brilliant, hard, durable, e.g., diamond

Dull or earthy: not shiny or brilliant, e.g., kaolinite
Greasy or oily: not shiny, not bright, e.g., opal
Pearly or opalescent: a depth to the light reflected, e.g.,
muscovite
Satin spar Resinous: like gum resin secreted by trees, e.g., amber
Opal Amber
Greasy fossilized tree resin variety of gypsum Silky: like silk in smoothness and fineness, e.g., gypsum 8
Resinous Silky Vitreous: glassy, e.g., quartz, feldspar
 Kayhan Develi, PhD
Appearance (Crystal Habit) Asst. Prof.

Habit describes the characteristic appearance of the crystal or

an aggregate of crystals

A mineral of a specific crystal system can produce different type

Platy Prismatic Botryoidal (like grapes) habits , depending on the conditions it was formed under.
a thin sheet of Gypsum Tourmaline’s nine- a Barite specimen
(BaSO4)
Habits

faced prism
For example; Quartz may have many habits as prismatic,
concentric, dendritic, massive, columnar and pyramidal. All of
which are produced in the hexagonal crystal system.

Acicular: needle-shaped, Bladed: long, thin plate like a knife

Different

blade , Botryoidal: like a bunch of grapes, Dendritic: tree-like,

Prismatic: like a prism, Cubic: like a cube, Fibrous: like fibers,
Reniform (kidney- Dendritic Concentric: round layers around a center, Pyramidal: like a
shaped) a Copper specimen in Geode
a Hematite specimen 3-D form a Calcite geode pyramid, Reniform: kidney-shaped
(Fe2O3)
for
Examples

Drusy Stalactite Fibrous Massive Pyramidal Cubic

an Amethyst specimen a Limonite specimen a Chrysotile specimen a Quartz specimen a Quartz specimen a Pyrite specimen
(purple variety ofquartz) FeO(OH).nH2O Mg3Si2O5(OH)4
Some

Micaceous
Bladed Tabular an Annite specimen
Acicular (Needle-like) Concentric
Columnar
a Malachite specimen
an Antimonite specimen a Barite specimen KFe2+3(Si3Al)O10(OH)2 9
a Quartz specimen a Millerite specimen (Sb2S3) (BaSO4)
(NiS) Cu2CO3(OH)2 Mica group member
 Kayhan Develi, PhD
Twinning Asst. Prof.

It is symmetry of crystals like mirror image

Crystal twinning occurs when two separate crystals share

some of the same crystal lattice points in a symmetrical
manner.
Quartz twin crystal Gypsum twin crystal
The type of twinning may be handled as a diagnostic tool in
mineral identification.

Some examples of twinned crystal forms are picturized on left.

X-shaped penetration Calcite twin crystal Twinned pyrite

twin –Selenite crystal group
(Gypsum) Chemical Formula
Polymorphism: Minerals with the same chemical composition More commonly, minerals are described or classified on the
but different crystal structures. basis of their chemical composition.

CaCO3 (Rhomboedric) Calcite density 2.7 Hardeness 3 Some minerals, such as graphite or diamond, consist primarily
of a single element (in this instance, carbon)
(Orthorombic) Aragonite density 3 Hardeness 4
However, most minerals occur as ionic compounds that consist
Isomorphism : Minerals with the same crystal structures but of orderly arrangements of cations and anions and have a
different chemical composition. specific crystalline structure determined by the sizes and
charges of the individual ions.
Calcite CaCO3
Pyrite (FeS2) is a mineral that contains a sulfide ion as its
Dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 anion.

Siderite FeCO3 Gypsum [CaSO4 –2(H2O)] contains the polyatomic anion

known as sulfate as well as two waters of hydration (water
10
But all Rhomboedric. molecules that are part of the crystalline structure).
 Cleavage

Some minerals may have cleavage.

Cleavage is a plane of weakness in the atomic structure of a

Cleavage in three mineral.
directions at right
angles (90o). Cubic Through this structural weakness planes, a mineral is splitted
cleavage.
into parts, smootly (makes a smooth surface ).
Cleavage in three
directions not at
right angles (120o
Different crystal systems cleave in different ways.
and 60o).
Rhombohedral Halite has cubic crystal system and cleaves in cubes.
cleavage.

3 Mica (muscovite, lepidolite, biotite) cleaves in monoclinic

sheets.

Fracture (Breaking)

In some minerals, fractured surfaces may possess a

characteristic appearance which can aid in identification.

Examples of distinctive types of fracture are conchoidal,

irregular (uneven) and hackly fracture.
Uneven Fracture
Magnetite Conchoidal fracture results in a series of smoothly curved
Fe3O4
concentric rings about the stressed point, generating a shell-
like appearance.

Irregular or uneven fracture results in a rough, rugged surface.

Conchoidal Fracture The term 'hackly' describes a fractured surface with multiple
Obsidian small, sharp and jagged irregularities.
Volcanic Glass
Kayhan Develi, PhD Hackly Fracture 11
Asst. Prof. Native Copper
 Tenacity

Tenacity describes the physical reaction of a mineral to

externally applied stresses such as crushing, cutting, bending,
and striking forces.

Adjectives used to characterize various types of mineral

tenacity include 'brittle,' 'flexible,' 'elastic,' 'malleable,' 'ductile,'
and 'sectile'.

brittle - shatters easily

flexible - can be bent but no return to original position
elastic - can be bent and returns to original position
malleable - can be hammered into thin sheets
(malleo=hammer) Capable of being flattened into thin sheets
without disintegration (Example: Gold, Silver, Copper)
ductile - can be drawn into thin wires
sectile - can be cut

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Kayhan Develi, PhD 14
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 The alkali feldspars are as follows:
orthoclase (monoclinic)[7]—KAlSi3O8
sanidine (monoclinic)[8]—(K,Na)AlSi3O8
microcline (triclinic)[9]—KAlSi3O8
anorthoclase (triclinic)—(Na,K)AlSi3O8

The plagioclase feldspars are triclinic. The

plagioclase series follows (with percent
anorthite in parentheses):
albite (0 to 10)—NaAlSi3O8
oligoclase (10 to 30)—(Na,Ca)(Al,Si)AlSi2O8
andesine (30 to 50)—NaAlSi3O8—CaAl2Si2O8
labradorite (50 to 70)—(Ca,Na)Al(Al,Si)Si2O8
bytownite (70 to 90)—(NaSi,CaAl)AlSi2O8
anorthite (90 to 100)—CaAl2Si2O8

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