1)

List five minerals that you encounter on a daily basis and name the products or materials where they are used. Drywall is made from gypsum, Concrete in the foundation is made with limestone and aggregate reinforced with steel rebar, Bricks are made from clay, Titanium oxide is used to make paint, Silica is used to make windows, Electrical wiring is made from copper, Iron and copper are used to make pipes for plumbing, and

Faucets contain various combinations of iron, chromium, nickel, and molybdenum combined to make stainless steel. 2) Study the chart showing 2007 U.S. Net Import Reliance for Selected Non-Fuel Mineral Materials. Pick three of the minerals of which we import 100% and research what they are used for. How might global politics and international trade impact the availability of some of these vital mineral resources? Fluorspar = Used for hydrofluoric acid (HF) primary feedstock for the manufacture of virtually all organic and inorganic fluorine-bearing chemicals and is also a key ingredient in the processing of aluminum and uranium. The remaining 15% of the reported fluorspar consumption was as a flux in steelmaking , in iron and steel casting, primary aluminum production, glass manufacture, enamels, welding rod coatings, cement production, and other uses or products. Graphite = Used for refractory applications, 36%; brake linings, 15%; and batteries, foundry operations, and lubricants, 8% Quartz Crystal = Used for El electronic-grade quartz crystal was essential for making filters, frequency controls, and time rs in electronic circuits employed for a wide range of products, such as communications equipment, computers, and many consumer goods, such as electronic games and television receivers. These minerals will be impacted by global politics and international trade If the supply of any of the minerals used in everyday products and services was curtailed, consumers and sectors of the U.S. economy could be significantly affected. Although baseline information on minerals is collected at the federal level, there is currently no established methodology to identify critical mineralsthose that are both important in use and for which there is a potential for supply restriction. This report suggests a framework for identifying critical minerals and the data and research needed to support it Minerals have varying levels of importance as a result of the demand for that mineral from different sectors of the U.S. economy. Importance in use carries with it the concept that some minerals will be more fundamental for specific uses than other minerals, depending on the minerals chemical and physical properties The greater the difficulty, expense, or time to find a suitable substitute for a given mineral, the greater will be the impact of a restriction in the minerals supply. 3) You may have noticed that the USGS Minerals Resources Program doesn't adhere to the same strict definition of a mineral that the textbook uses. Review the table showing mineral commodities required over a lifetime. Which material from that table is not technically a mineral?

bauxite 4) Why does "sand and gravel" not fit the textbook definition of a mineral? It does not occur naturally. 5) Why are phosphate minerals so important to society? They are a source of fertilizer for growing food.