Required Readings
Science in Action 7
pages 368 - 376
or
Science Focus 7
pages 354 - 360
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What are rocks made of? We walk all over them, but how often have you stopped and really thought about what gives each of these rocks different characteristics?
Rocks have different characteristics as they are made up of different minerals. On the Earth there are over 3500 different naturally occurring minerals. Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic substances with predictable chemical and physical properties.
Although there are numerous minerals, only a few form the majority of rock in the Earth's crust. Most minerals are very rare. Only a few are commonly found throughout the crust.
Minerals can be elements or compounds. Elements are pure substances such as gold. Compounds are a combination of two or more elements. Quartz is a compound mineral which consists of two elements - silicon and oxygen.
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