Minerals are naturally-occurring substances created through geological processes; however, man-made materials can also contribute to their formation. Mineralogists would rather avoid having to deal with such issues directly; so they have drawn a line between geologically created minerals and man-made ones.
One way of distinguishing minerals is their crystal form. Many feature unique shapes that are easily recognizable. Furthermore, some even possess unique odors or flavors.
They are found in the ashes of something that has burned
Ash is the residue left after something has been burned in either an industrial furnace or by fire, typically comprising calcium compounds. Ash can be used as fertilizer in clay soils as well as measuring mineral and metal content in chemical samples for analytical chemistry analysis, while also being useful in producing quicklime (calcium oxide), potash (potassium carbonate), and baking soda (sodium carbonate). Ashes can also be used as fuel, however their volatile organic compounds release smoke during combustion.
Wood ashes vary greatly in composition depending on the species of plant burned and part of that plant that was burned, for instance ashes made from conifers contain more chloride and less magnesium compared to broadleaf trees; also included may be other minerals like potassium, sodium and chlorine which make these alkaline.
They are made up of atoms
Minerals are crystalline solids with distinct chemical composition and structures, as well as unique physical properties easily observed or tested, such as color, luster, streaking hardness cleavage fracture and radioactivity. Some minerals also possess other physical characteristics like magnetism piezoelectricity solubility.
Atoms form the fundamental building blocks of matter, including minerals. An atom has two primary components – its nucleus of positively charged protons and neutrons and an orbiting cloud of negatively charged electrons which contributes to chemical bonding; when these electrons arrange themselves in certain ways they form compounds or native elements.
Most minerals are compounds, as the valence (the number of electrons available for bonding) of each element determines its reactions with other elements. Certain metals like gold do not react with others and are known as noble elements, while others like tin and nickel form various types of compounds which range from soft like calcite and hematite to harder ones like quartz and diamond with covalent bonds that form covalent bonds between the atoms in their molecules.
