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Mineralogy

Mineralogy is the science that studies minerals.

A mineral is a substance naturally formed, usually inorganic , exceptionally organic. A given mineral is characterized by a chemical formula and crystal structure , that is to say, respectively, by the nature of the atoms that compose it and their arrangement in space. The mineralogy of the various approaches focused study of minerals on these theoretical bases.

Summary

/ / Properties of Minerals
Main article: Mineral.

Several properties and methods used to characterize a mineral. To study a given mineral, the mineralogist operate, including:

List of minerals

The modern nomenclature is needed in the course of the nineteenth century, where the name stems from several reasons.

Today, there is an international organization to standardize the definition of mineral species: the International Mineralogical Association (IMA).

Exploration

Minerals are likely to be found in the following sources:

  • the mines and quarries , which are choice areas for prospecting for minerals;
  • the meteorites that fall to Earth by the thousands every day;
  • laboratory and through the computer , researchers are combinations of theoretical mineral composite , which currently constitute the bulk of the discoveries.

The eight elements which alone constitute nearly 90% of the texture of the crust combine to form minerals. Silicate minerals and silica predominate in most common rocks, except limestone.

The hardness scale

The Mohs hardness scale was invented in 1812 by the mineralogist German Friedrich Mohs to measure the hardness of minerals. Number 1 being the least hard and the number 10 the hardest.

Related Sciences

The mineralogy is working with other sciences:

  • The survey , which consists in seeking the field of mineral resources;
  • the geochemistry , which studies the chemical constituents of Earth's crust;
  • the petrography , who studies rocks (including minerals are constituents);
  • the geology , which is to study the modes of deposit and the conditions of mineral formation;
  • la minralogie descriptive , qui tudie le minral lui-mme ;
    • the microminralogie , part of the descriptive mineralogy and minerals so that studies of millimeter size;
  • the crystallography , which studies the structure of crystals;
  • instrumental techniques of chemistry , to determine the chemical formula of a mineral;
  • instrumental techniques of physics to study a number of properties of the ore, with:
    • the X-ray diffraction to determine the disposition of the mineral constituent atoms, namely, , and the ,
    • the polarized light microscopy to determine the exact nature of the ore,
    • the goniometer to measure the angles between them are the various faces of the crystal and allow its identification,
    • measuring electrical properties, magnetic, optical and fluorescent for further differentiation of minerals;
  • the materials science , which studies structure and properties of compounds of technological interest which are often mineral phases;
  • the computer , which produces programs that facilitate the study and development of new theoretical combinations of minerals.

Examples of minerals

Here is a list of common minerals:

Oxides of the form XY 2 O 4 are grouped under the name "spinel" which often (but not always!) X 2 + is a metal and a metal Y 3 + (hematite, pleonaste example). An example is the cons-ulvospinelle, TiFe 2 O 4: here the titanium oxidation number has 4 +, the iron 2 +.

See also

Related articles

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Branches of chemistry
Analytical Chemistry Biochemistry Industrial Chemistry Inorganic Chemistry Organic Chemistry Physical Chemistry Supramolecular Chemistry Chemical Engineering Geochemistry Materials Science Pharmacy Pharmacology Thermochemistry Electrochemistry Mineralogy Ptrochimie Computational chemistry Theoretical Chemistry Physical Chemistry
Periodic Table Elements

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