Minerals are naturally
occurring inorganic compounds ("non-living material").
- A mineral is a solid material,
made of one substance, that occurs naturally on Earth.
- Most of the common minerals
are made of crystals.
- A Crystal is a solid formed
by a repeating, three-dimensional pattern of atoms, ions, or molecules
and having fixed distances between the different parts.
- Minerals that do not grow in
these regular or crystalline patterns are called Amorphous solids.
- Some minerals can be both crystalline
and amorphous.
- The two photos below show a crystalline quartz specimen
and an amorphous quartz specimen.
Now click
here for more information on minerals!!
|