Asked by dom
what are five criteria minerals must have
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A mineral must meet five main criteria:
1. Naturally occurring — formed by natural geologic processes (not manufactured).
2. Inorganic — not produced by living organisms (though biogenic minerals like shell calcite are chemically identical to inorganic forms).
3. Solid — has a solid state under normal Earth-surface conditions.
4. Definite chemical composition — a fixed or narrowly variable chemical formula (may include solid-solution ranges).
5. Ordered internal structure — atoms arranged in a regular, repeating crystalline lattice.
Examples/clarifications: obsidian (volcanic glass) is not a mineral because it lacks a crystalline structure; ice is a mineral when it forms naturally as solid water; coal and petroleum are not minerals because they are organic. Would you like examples of common minerals that meet these criteria?
1. Naturally occurring — formed by natural geologic processes (not manufactured).
2. Inorganic — not produced by living organisms (though biogenic minerals like shell calcite are chemically identical to inorganic forms).
3. Solid — has a solid state under normal Earth-surface conditions.
4. Definite chemical composition — a fixed or narrowly variable chemical formula (may include solid-solution ranges).
5. Ordered internal structure — atoms arranged in a regular, repeating crystalline lattice.
Examples/clarifications: obsidian (volcanic glass) is not a mineral because it lacks a crystalline structure; ice is a mineral when it forms naturally as solid water; coal and petroleum are not minerals because they are organic. Would you like examples of common minerals that meet these criteria?
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