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There are two types of minerals, metallic and non-metallic. Minerals are naturally occurring substances that have been formed as a result of geological processes, and contain both physical and chemical properties. They are found concentrated in specific regions in the earth’s crust. They can be recognized and identified based on their physical properties such as density and hardness of the mineral, and chemical properties such as solubility. Minerals can be found in various forms- they can be as hard as a rock or as soft as talcum powder.
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What are Minerals?
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A mineral, formed due to geological processes, is an element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline. Examples of minerals include quartz, feldspar minerals, calcite, sulfur, and the clay minerals such as kaolinite and smectite.
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Examples of Minerals
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Some of the minerals include granite, gold, rock salt, diamond, mica, feldspar, and quartz. The most abundant mineral found on the earth’s crust is silica. Minerals have a well-defined chemical composition, and they may vary from each other in terms of their physical properties like hardness, colour, and density.
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Different Types of Minerals
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Minerals are divided into two main categories based on their chemical composition- Metallic Minerals and Non-Metallic Minerals. Metallic Minerals are further divided into ferrous and non-ferrous minerals.
Metallic Minerals
Metallic minerals are minerals that contain one or more metallic elements. They are a result of multiple metals reacting with other elements to form a metallic mineral. Metals can be obtained by extracting such metallic minerals. Such minerals are considered very valuable as they provide metals in their purest forms. Metallic minerals are usually obtained from igneous and metamorphic rocks. These exhibit a shiny lustre in their appearance, since they are made up of metals that too have distinct physical properties like lustre. Metallic minerals serve as a very good source of metals since they can be extracted through mining. Examples of metallic minerals include bauxite, hematite, iron ore, aluminum, gold and silver. In addition to this, these are ductile and malleable in nature, which means that they can be drawn into wires and beaten into sheets respectively. Metallic minerals can be further divided into Ferrous Minerals and Non-ferrous minerals.
Metallic Minerals
Ferrous Minerals: Ferrous Minerals are those minerals that contain iron in them. Some examples are Iron ore, Manganese, and chromites. They are magnetic in nature and are good conductors of electricity. Ferrous minerals are also less resistant to corrosion and weigh more than non-ferrous minerals.
Non-ferrous Minerals: Non-Ferrous Minerals are those minerals that do not contain iron in them, but constitute other metals such as gold, silver, or copper. They are bad conductors of electricity and are more resistant to corrosion. In addition to this, non-ferrous minerals are non-magnetic in nature and they weigh less than ferrous minerals. Some of the examples include Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper, and Zinc.
Non-metallic Minerals
Non-metallic minerals are those minerals that do not contain metals, and are either organic in origin such as fossil fuels, are inorganic such as mica, limestone, and graphite. Non-metallic minerals are generally good conductors of heat and electricity. They are usually obtained through sedimentary rocks. They do not exhibit a lustre or shine in their appearance. These minerals are not malleable or ductile, and usually, break down easily. After melting, they do not yield any new product. Some examples of non-metallic minerals are limestone, mica, gypsum, coal, petroleum, diamond, and potash.
Non-metallic minerals
Minerals can be extracted from the earth’s surface through a process of mining or quarrying.
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Minerals and Their Uses
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Here are a list of 5 minerals and their uses:
- Bauxite : Bauxite is a form of sedimentary rock and is a valuable ore of aluminum. It is the only ore that can be used for large-scale aluminium production.
- Beryllium : Beryllium is used in alloys to make aircraft brake systems. Beryllium salts are used in X-Rays and fluorescent lamps.
- Iron Ore: Iron ore is used in metallurgy products and automobile products. China, Australia, and Russia are the major producers of Iron ore.
- Mica: Ground mica is used in paints, cements, and in the making of welding rods. Sheet mica is fabricated to make electronic products.
- Lead: Lead is used in making electrical appliances, TV Tubes, and construction equipments.
Things to Remember
- Minerals are naturally occurring substances found in the earth’s crust, and are a result of geological processes. They contain physical and chemical properties.
- Minerals are divided into two main categories based on their chemical composition- Metallic Minerals and Non-Metallic Minerals. Metallic Minerals are further divided into ferrous and non-ferrous minerals.
- Metallic minerals are minerals that contain one or more metallic elements. They are a result of multiple metals reacting with other elements to form a metallic mineral. Metals can be obtained by extracting such metallic minerals by a process called ‘mining’.
- Ferrous Minerals are those minerals that contain iron in them. Some examples are Iron ore, Manganese, and chromites.
- Non-Ferrous Minerals are those minerals that do not contain iron in them, but constitute other metals such as gold, silver, or copper.
- Non-metallic minerals are those minerals that do not contain metals, and are either organic in origin such as fossil fuels, or are inorganic such as mica, limestone, and graphite.
Sample Questions
Ques: Classify minerals on the basis of chemical and physical properties. (1 mark)
Ans: On the basis of chemical properties and physical properties, a mineral is classified into the following: Metallic minerals Non-metallic minerals
Ques: Name any two ferrous minerals other than iron-ore. (1 mark)
Ans: Two ferrous minerals are: Manganese Nickel
Ques: Give two advantages of copper. Mention four copper mining areas of India. (3 marks)
Ans: Copper is a non-ferrous mineral found in India. It has various advantages such as: Copper due to its allowable, malleable, and ductile properties is mostly used in the electrical industry for making wires, electric motors, transformers, and generators. To give strength, copper is also mixed with gold in making jewelry. Four copper producing states of India are: Copper deposits are mainly found in the Singhbhum district in Jharkhand. It is found in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh.
Ques: What is the use of manganese? Name the largest manganese-ore producing state of India. (2 marks)
Ans: Manganese is mainly used in the manufacturing of the following items: Steel (nearly 10 kg of manganese is required to manufacture 1 tonne of steel). Ferro-manganese alloy Bleaching powder Insecticides and paints
Ques: Explain one reason for the import of petroleum and its products in large quantities in India. (2 marks)
Ans: The import of petroleum and its products in large quantities in India is due to the following reasons: More vehicle purchases Increased use of diesel for irrigation due to weak monsoon. Rising industrialization.
Ques: What is the use of manganese? Name the largest manganese-ore producing state of India. (2 marks)
Ans: Manganese is mainly used in the manufacturing of the following items: Steel (nearly 10 kg of manganese is required to manufacture 1 tonne of steel). Ferro-manganese alloy Bleaching powder Insecticides and paints Odisha (Orissa) is the largest producer of manganese-ore in India.
Ques: What are metallic minerals? Explain with examples. (4 marks)
Ans: Metallic minerals are minerals that contain one or more metallic elements. They are a result of multiple metals reacting with other elements to form a metallic mineral. Metals can be obtained by extracting such metallic minerals. Such minerals are considered very valuable as they provide metals in their purest forms. Metallic minerals are usually obtained from igneous and metamorphic rocks. These exhibit a shiny lustre in their appearance, since they are made up of metals that too have distinct physical properties like lustre. Metallic minerals serve as a very good source of metals since they can be extracted through mining. Examples of metallic minerals include bauxite, hematite, iron ore, aluminum, gold and silver. In addition to this, these are ductile and malleable in nature, which means that can be drawn into wires and beaten into sheets respectively.
Ques: What are ferrous and non-ferrous minerals? (4 marks)
Ans: Metallic minerals can be further divided into Ferrous Minerals and Non-ferrous minerals. FERROUS MINERALS: Ferrous Minerals are those minerals that contain iron in them. Some examples are Iron ore, Manganese and chromites. They are magnetic in nature and are good conductors of electricity. Ferrous minerals are also less resistant to corrosion and weigh more than non-ferrous minerals. NON-FERROUS MINERALS: Non-Ferrous Minerals are those minerals that do not contain iron in them, but constitute other metals such as gold, silver or copper. They are bad conductors of electricity and are more resistant to corrosion. In addition to this, non-ferrous minerals are non-magnetic in nature and they weigh less than ferrous minerals. Some of the examples include Gold, Silver, Lead, Copper and Zinc.they
Ques: What are non-metallic minerals? Explain with examples. (4 marks)
Ans: Non-metallic minerals are those minerals that do not contain metals, and are either organic in origin such as fossil fuels, or are inorganic such as mica, limestone and graphite. Non-metallic minerals are generally good conductors of heat and electricity. They are usually obtained through sedimentary rocks. They do not exhibit a lustre or shine in their appearance. These minerals are not malleable or ductile, and usually break down easily. After melting, they do not yield any new product. Some examples of non-metallic minerals are limestone, mica, gypsum, coal, petroleum, diamond and potash.
Ques: State below the uses of 5 minerals. (5 marks)
Ans: Here is the list of 5 minerals and their uses:
- Bauxite: Bauxite is a form of sedimentary rock and is a valuable ore of aluminum. It is the only ore that can be used for large-scale aluminium production.
- Beryllium : Beryllium is used in alloys to make aircraft brake systems. Beryllium salts are used in X-Rays and fluorescent lamps.
- Iron Ore: Iron ore is used in metallurgy products and automobile products. China, Australia, and Russia are the major producers of Iron ore.
- Mica: Ground mica is used in paints, cements, and in the making of welding rods. Sheet mica is fabricated to make electronic products.
- Lead: Lead is used in making electrical appliances, TV Tubes and construction equipment.
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