Matter and Minerals

What is Matter?
Matter the substance of which any physical
object is composed
States of Matter:
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Examples:

Gold
solid

Controlling factors:
Temperature
Pressure
Mercury
liquid

Oxygen
gas

The stuff that makes up all matter

The make-up of solid matter on Earth:
Atoms Elements Compounds Minerals Rocks
(smallest)

(largest)

Elements:
fundamental building blocks
smallest matter that cant be broken down

Periodic Table of Elements

The stuff that makes up all matter

The make-up of solid matter on Earth:
Atoms Elements Compounds Minerals Rocks
(smallest)

(largest)

Atoms:
the stuff that builds elements
the smallest particle that uniquely defines an element

Atomic Structure
Particles that make up an atom:
Protons: positive (+) charge
Neutrons: no charge
Electrons: negative (-) charge
Protons + neutrons define the nucleus of an atom.
Layers of electrons that orbit around the nucleus are
called orbitals or energy-level shells.

Atomic Structure

Periodic Table of Elements

Atomic Number (# of protons)

Mass number = # protons + # neutrons

Can atoms of the same element have
different mass numbers?
YES
These are called isotopes.
Example: (Carbon)

12C 13C 14C

Atomic weight =
# protons + average # neutrons

Atomic Structure
Atoms of the same element:
have the same number of protons
(i.e.,
same atomic number)
can have different numbers of neutrons
(referred to as isotopes)
can have different numbers of electrons
Ion an atom that has gained or lost an electron

Atomic Structure

Sodium atom
loses an electron
(becomes positively
charged)

Chlorine atom
gains an electron

(becomes negatively
charged)

Atomic Structure
Types of IONS:
CATIONS a loss of electrons, resulting
in a positive (+) charge
ANIONS a gain of electrons, resulting
in a negative (-) charge
Examples:

Na+ (cation)

Cl (anion)

NaCl (table salt)

chemical compound

Compounds
Definition:
A chemical compound consists of elements that
combine in a specific ratio.
Examples:

NaCl

H2O

The smallest quantity of a compound is called

a molecule.
Molecules are held together by chemical
bonding.

Bonding chemical marriage

Chemical bonding:
formation of a compound by combining two or
more elements
manner in which electrons are distributed among
atoms

In bonded atoms, electrons may be lost, gained,

or shared.
4 types of bonding:
ionic

covalent

metallic

van der Waals

Bonding chemical marriage

Ionic bonding:
electrons are transferred between atoms forming
attracting ions (e.g., NaCl)

Na+

Cl

Bonding chemical marriage

Ionic bonding:
orderly arrangement of oppositely charged ions
bonds are moderately strong (salt dissolves in water)

Bonding chemical marriage

Covalent bonding:
electrons are shared between atoms
Chlorine gas molecule, Cl2

generally strong
bonds
(e.g., diamond, pure C)

Bonding chemical marriage

Metallic bonding:
electrons drift around from atom to atom
copper, gold, silver)

(e.g.,

good conductors of electrical current

generally weaker, less common than other bonds

Gold, Au

Bonding chemical marriage

Van der Waals bonding:
sheets of covalently bonded atoms held together by
weak electrostatic forces
very weak bonds
examples: graphite, mica

The stuff that makes up all matter

The make-up of solid matter on Earth:
Atoms Elements Compounds Minerals Rocks
(smallest)

(largest)

Minerals: the building blocks of rocks

Definition of a Mineral:
naturally occurring
inorganic
solid
characteristic crystalline structure
definite chemical composition

Definition of a Rock:
A solid aggregate (mixture) of minerals

Mineral characteristics

Definition of a Mineral:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

naturally occurring
inorganic
solid
characteristic crystalline structure
definite chemical composition

steel plastic sugar table salt mercury ice

coal
no, #1 no, #1 no, #1,2
YES!
no, #3 YES!
basalt
no, #5

obsidian mica gold paper

no, #4
YES!
YES!
no, #1,2

no, #2

coral
no, #2

Mineral characteristics
Naturally formed
No substance created artificially is a mineral.
examples: plastic, steel, sugar, paper

Inorganic
Anything formed by a living organism and
containing organic materials is not a mineral.
examples: wood, plants, shells, coal

Solid
Liquids and gases are not minerals.
examples: water, petroleum, lava, oxygen

Mineral characteristics
Characteristic crystalline structure
must have an ordered arrangement of atoms
displays repetitive geometric patterns in 3-D
glass not a mineral (no internal crystalline structure)

Definite chemical composition

must have consistent chemical formula
examples: gold (Au), quartz (SiO2), orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)

basalt (like many other rocks) contains variable ratios of

different minerals; thus, has no consistent formula

How many minerals are there?

Nearly 4,000 types of minerals
Only ~30 occur commonly (whew!)
Why not more?
Some combinations are chemically impossible
Relative abundances of elements dont allow more

Element abundances in the crust

All others: 1.5%