Course Overview

EdSc 121- Fundamentals of Geology(3 hours lecture/week)

Structure, origin, geologic processes and materials of the earth, classification of minerals, rocks,

importance, utilization and conservation of mineral resources, and effects of explorations of earth

resourcesJun Karren V. Caparoso

Department of Science and Mathematics Education

College of EducationMSU-Iligan Institute of Technology

What is Matter?

Matter – the substance of which any physical object is composed

States of Matter:• Solid • Liquid• Gas

Controlling factors:• Temperature• Pressure

Examples: Gold Mercury Oxygen

solid liquid gas

(review)

The stuff that makes up all matter

The make-up of solid matter on Earth:

Atoms Elements Compounds Minerals Rocks

(smallest) (largest)

Elements:– fundamental building blocks– smallest matter that can’t be broken down

Periodic Table of Elements

The stuff that makes up all matter

The make-up of solid matter on Earth:

Atoms Elements Compounds Minerals Rocks

(smallest) (largest)

Atoms:– the stuff that builds elements– the smallest particle that uniquely defines an element

Atomic Structure

Particles that make up an atom:– Protons: positive (+) charge – Neutrons: no charge– Electrons: negative (-) charge

Protons + neutrons define the nucleus of an atom.

Layers of electrons that orbit around the nucleus are called orbitals or energy-level shells.

Atomic Structure

Atomic Structure

Atoms of the same element:• have the same number of protons

(i.e., same atomic number)• can have different numbers of neutrons

(referred to as isotopes)• can have different numbers of electrons

Ion – an atom that has gained or lost an electron

Sodium atomloses an electron(becomes positively

charged)

Chlorine atomgains an electron(becomes negatively

charged)

Atomic Structure

Types of IONS:

• CATIONS – a loss of electrons, resulting in a positive (+) charge

• ANIONS – a gain of electrons, resulting in a negative (-)

charge

Examples: Na+ (cation) Cl

– (anion)

NaCl (table salt)chemical compound

Atomic Structure

• Definition:– A chemical compound consists of elements

that combine in a specific ratio.

Examples: NaCl H2O

• The smallest quantity of a compound is called a molecule.

• Molecules are held together by chemical bonding.

Atomic Structure

Bonding – chemical matrimony

• Chemical bonding:– formation of a compound by combining two or more

elements– manner in which electrons are distributed among atoms

• In bonded atoms, electrons may be lost, gained, or shared.

• 4 types of bonding:ionic covalent metallic van der Waals

• Ionic bonding:– electrons are transferred between atoms

forming attracting ions (e.g., NaCl)

Na+ Cl–

Bonding – chemical matrimony

• Ionic bonding:– orderly arrangement of oppositely charged ions– bonds are moderately strong (salt dissolves in water)

Bonding – chemical matrimony

• Covalent bonding:– electrons are shared between atoms

– generally strong bonds

(e.g., diamond, pure C)

Chlorine gas molecule, Cl2

Bonding – chemical matrimony

• Metallic bonding:– electrons drift around from atom to atom

(e.g., copper, gold, silver)

– good conductors of electrical current

– generally weaker, less common than other bonds

Gold, Au

Bonding – chemical matrimony

• Van der Waals bonding:– sheets of covalently bonded atoms held together

by weak electrostatic forces

– very weak bonds

examples: graphite, mica

Bonding – chemical matrimony

Atoms Elements Compounds Minerals Rocks

(smallest) (largest)

The stuff that makes up all matter

The make-up of solid matter on Earth:

Minerals: the building blocks of rocks

Definition of a Mineral: naturally occurring inorganic solid characteristic crystalline structure definite chemical composition

Definition of a Rock:• A solid aggregate (mixture) of minerals

Rock: A solid aggregate (mixture) of minerals

Mineral characteristics

• Definition of a Mineral:1. naturally occurring

2. inorganic

3. solid

4. characteristic crystalline structure

5. definite chemical composition

steel plastic sugar table salt mercury ice coal

basalt obsidian mica gold paper chalk coral

no, #1 no, #1 no, #1,2 YES! no, #3 YES! no, #2

no, #5 no, #4 YES! YES! no, #1,2 no, #2 no, #2

• Naturally formed– No substance created artificially is a mineral. examples: plastic, steel, sugar, paper

• Inorganic– Anything formed by a living organism and

containing organic materials is not a mineral. examples: wood, plants, shells, coal

• Solid– Liquids and gases are not minerals. examples: water, petroleum, lava, oxygen

Mineral characteristics

• Characteristic crystalline structure– must have an ordered arrangement of atoms

– displays repetitive geometric patterns in 3-D

glass not a mineral (no internal crystalline structure)

• Definite chemical composition– must have consistent chemical formulaexamples: gold (Au), quartz (SiO2), orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)

basalt (like many other rocks) contains variable ratios of different minerals; thus, has no consistent formula

Mineral characteristics

– Only ~30 occur commonly

– Why not more?• Some combinations are chemically impossible

• Relative abundances of elements don’t allow more

How many minerals are there?

Nearly 4,000 types of minerals

Element abundances in the crust

All others: 1.5%