2.3 NotesMinerals Are Valuable Resources

Minerals Have Many Uses in Industry

Mineral deposits are sources of…

Minerals Have Many Uses in Industry

Metals for cars and airplanes

Minerals Have Many Uses in Industry

Quartz and feldspar for glass

Minerals Have Many Uses in Industry

Fluorite and calcite for toothpaste

Minerals Have Many Uses in Industry

Mica and talc for paint

Minerals Have Many Uses in the Arts

Particularly beautiful minerals, like birthstones, are known as gemstones.

Minerals Have Many Uses in the Arts

When gemstones are found, they are usually rough and irregularly shaped.

Minerals Have Many Uses in the Arts

The material used to shape and polish a gemstone must be at least as hard as the gemstone itself.

Minerals Have Many Uses in the Arts

Metals like gold and silver are also used to make jewelry.

Minerals Form in Several Ways

The type of mineral that forms in an area depends on what elements are present there.

Temperature and pressure also affect which minerals form.

Minerals Form in Several Ways

Some common ways that minerals form…

Minerals Form in Several Ways

Water EvaporatesThe minerals that were dissolved in the water are left behind.

Minerals Form in Several Ways

Hot water coolsVery hot water can dissolve minerals.

When the water cools, the minerals reform as solids.

Minerals Form in Several Ways

Molten rock coolsMany minerals grow from magma-molten rock inside Earth.

Many minerals also form from lava-magma that has reached Earth’s surface-cools

Minerals Form in Several Ways

Heat and Pressure Cause ChangesCarbon can become graphite or diamond under different conditions

Minerals Form in Several Ways

Organisms produce mineralsFew minerals are produced by living things

Example: calcite in seashells!Example: apatite in your teeth!

Many Minerals Are Mined

Before minerals can be used, they must be removed from the ground.

Rocks that contain minerals we can mine for $ are called ores.

Surface Mining

Minerals near Earth’s surface are mined with surface mining.

Panning is when minerals are separated from riverbeds with sifting.

Surface Mining

Strip mining is when miners strip away plants, soil, and unwanted rocks before digging out the desired ores.

Surface Mining

Open-pit mining involves removing the surface layer of soil and then using explosives to break up the underlying rock.

Deep Mining

Deep mining is needed when an ore is deep underground.

Miners will cut a passage to reach the mineral.

These passages can be cut horizontally or vertically into the Earth.

Deep Mining

From the passage, miners blast, drill, cut, or dig the ore.

The world’s deepest gold mine is 3 km deep!

Review

1.What types of minerals form in an area depends in part on

A.Which elements are presentB.The types of rock presentC.The density of rocks presentD.Whether crystals can form

Review

2. Open-pit mining is used to obtain ores that lieA.Under flat landB.Deep in Earth’s crustC.Near the surface of EarthD.In riverbeds

Review

3. Gemstones are used inA.Building materialsB.Paper productsC.Automobile partsD.Jewelry making