Minerals are defined as naturally occurring crystalline solid substances, generally inorganic, with a specific chemical composition. They are the building blocks of rocks, which, for the most part are comprised of more than one mineral.
| MINERAL |
NATURAL |
SOLID |
INORGANIC |
| NONMINERAL |
ARTIFICIAL |
LIQUID
or GAS |
ORGANIC |
- Naturally Occurring
- It is found in nature, not manufactured. Synthetically created minerals are not considered true minerals.
- Crystalline
- The atoms that make up the mineral are arranged in an orderly and repeating three-dimensional way. Solids that do not have a crystalline property are glassy or amorphous.
- Inorganic
- Excludes the organic substances that make up plant and animal bodies. While coal is created geologically, it is made of decayed vegetation and is not considered a mineral. Calcite, on the other hand, which can be formed biologically into shells by organisms and then become limestone is still a mineral because it is inorganic and crystalline.
- Specific Chemical Composition
- Each mineral is defined by its chemical composition and the arrangement of atoms.
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