Curriculum
Science — Second Preparatory
Unit 1: Matter and Energy
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Unit 2: Matter and Chemical Reactions
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Unit 3: Energy Flow in Photosynthesis and Respiration
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Text lesson
Formation of Minerals and Soil
Formation of Minerals and Soil
Minerals: definition and properties
Minerals: definition and properties
- A mineral is a natural, inorganic, solid substance with a definite chemical composition and a regular crystal structure.
- Examples include quartz (silicon dioxide), calcite (calcium carbonate) and halite (sodium chloride, or table salt).
- Minerals differ from rocks.
- A rock is a mixture of one or more minerals held together, and its chemical composition is not fixed.
- A mineral has a fixed chemical composition.
Key points
Naturalformed in nature without human help.
Inorganicnot formed from the remains of living things.
Crystallineits atoms or ions are arranged in a regular, repeated pattern.
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