What is the meaning of MIneral? Concept, Definition of MIneral
Concepts and meanings of Mineral
1 Meaning of Mineral
Mineral is a natural, smooth, inorganic, substance's chemical composition defined (within certain limits).These inorganic substances have an orderly arrangement of atoms of the elements that is composed, and the result is the development of flat surfaces known as faces. If ore has been able to grow without interference, they can generate characteristic geometric forms, known as crystals.
The importance of minerals
Minerals are very important for its multiple applications in various fields of human activity. Modern industry depends on directly or indirectly for minerals; they are used to manufacture many products, from tools and computers to skyscrapers.
Some minerals are used practically as extracted; for example the sulfur, talc, salt, table, etc. Others, however, must be submitted to various processes to obtain the desired product, such as iron, copper, aluminium, Tin, etc. Minerals constitute the source of different metals, technological basis of modern civilization. Thus, different types of quartz and silicates, glass is produced. Nitrates and phosphates are used as fertilizer for agriculture. Certain materials such as plaster, are widely used in construction. Minerals that fall into the category of precious or semi-precious stones, such as diamonds, Topaz, rubies, are intended for the manufacture of jewellery.
Minerals are a natural resource of great importance for a country's economy, many commercial products are mineral or obtained from an ore. Many elements of the minerals are essential to life, present in organisms
Classification of minerals
Minerals are often classified into antiquity with criteria of physical appearance; Theophrastus, in the 3rd century BC, created the first list systematic qualitative known; Pliny the elder (1st century AD), in his "Natural History", carried out a systematic Mineral, work which, in the middle ages, formed the basis of Avicenna; Linnaeus (1707-1778) attempted to devise a nomenclature based on the concepts of genus and species, but was unsuccessful and stopped using in the 19th century; with the subsequent development of chemistry, the Swedish chemist Axel Fredrik Cronstedt (1722-1765) drew up the first classification of minerals on the basis of its composition; the American geologist James Dwight Dana, in 1837, proposed a classification considering the structure and chemical composition. The most current classification is based on chemical composition and crystal structure of minerals. The most used classifications are those of Strunz and Kostov.
2. Definition of Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring substance that differs from the rest by its inorganic origin, its homogeneity, preset chemical composition and that currently holds a crystal structure. Its main functions include the be a decisive and fundamental component of the conservation and health of human beings, since their presence is crucial for the activity of the different cells.But in addition to conservation and contribution that perform to keep cells active, minerals have a second reason to be not as important as the contribute to life, but of vital importance to keep the industry alive and coleante in all the countries that make up this planet, since it is widely used in the manufacture of products that surround us and which constitute a fundamental part in our daily life: from tools, through the computer from which I am writing this review, following by the refined jewels which sometimes adorn our bodies, to sophisticated structures such as buildings.
Meanwhile, for this reason commented them, become Staples for the functioning and development of the industry, it is that their existence is one of the main natural resources you can count on a country to strengthen its economy and expand their wealth.
However, we can not forget that minerals are nonrenewable natural resources, and for this reason, its extraction should be restrained, since certain amount of a certain mineral is extracted, it will not regenerate. Why is more than necessary that the Governments of every country legislate mining extraction, and put limits companies hoods, with the purpose of not over-exploit areas with presence of minerals.
There are a wide range of minerals: sulfur, talc, salt, iron, Tin, mica, quartz, amber, copper and aluminum, among others; and also varied typologies of classification.
Rocks, which we see everywhere, are the more conventional ore example, but also the water can be considered so. Clear that, for example, between rocks or "stones" are those which, by its composition have a higher value than those that can be found, for example, in the courtyard of our House on the market and for the industry. Calls "precious stones" such as Ruby, acquamarine, Emerald, among others are less frequent and they are found in mountainous areas. To be less common than the other, then drift composition in the high value which are quoted, and from them are manufactured rings, bracelets, pendants or rings (in general, are used for jewelry). Other stones like the hematite are also used for these purposes, although its composition and to find in more quantity than the named above, its value is less.
In antiquity it was classified them is according to their physical appearance first, then another current began them classified according to its chemical composition and in our times classifies them according to a more elaborate approach that serves both its crystalline structure to their chemical compounds.
Minerals, beyond the industry, let us not forget that we said that their presence contributes to the vital balance of the planet, and is also a great vital source for our body. Along with vitamins and proteins, minerals such as iodine, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus or zinc are essential for our physical wellbeing and health. Many of them can find them in food, and why is that always the nutrition professionals advise hold diets varied in terms of type of food. But also, in specific situations where the incorporation of varieties of food is not sufficient (as in cases of malnutrition or anemia, for example) can resort to products developed by the pharmaceutical industry, such as vitamin supplements that incorporate our body all those minerals, vitamins and proteins needed for metabolic balance.
Currently, those "mineral" products are related to natural, with little or no presence of chemicals derived from or processed. For example, mineral bottled water often have different taste to others that are not, and are catalogued as "more natural". Or also the mineral makeup tend to be more recommended by its composition free of oils and chemicals added.
3 Concept of Mineral
Minerals are chemical, inorganic and homogeneous, natural bodies that can be found on the surface of the Earth, formed therein in a spontaneous way. In general they have crystal structure, given by the enrejamiento of atoms, and chemical composition differs from some others. They have faces, or flat surfaces, because its atoms are arranged in an orderly manner. There are a few minerals composed of a single element, such as gold and silver; the majority are chemical compounds. Their study corresponds to Mineralogy.Calcium, potassium and magnesium are metals; phosphorus, sulfur and carbon, are non-metals.
Composite minerals are grouped among others in: 1. sulphides such as pyrite or colcosina, which are combined with metallic non-metallic elements; 2 Oxides, such as magnetite or rutile, where metals or non-metals combine with oxygen, non-saline. 3 Alogenuros, such as fluorite, which result from the combination of a halogen with a metal. Also there is sulfates, nitrates, phosphates, silicates, etc.
To distinguish one mineral from another, we can observe its color, its sensitivity to touch, or taste, as in the case of salt; and above all its toughness. The softer ore is talc, and hardest, diamond.
The rocks are agglomerations of minerals, usually of the same type, in a natural way. The study of the rocks is the petrography.
In biology, are mineral nutrients essential for the organism, such as boron, copper, calcium, fluoride, sodium, iodine or zinc, among others. They are obtained through a balanced diet.
4. What is Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring substance characterized by solid, stable at certain temperatures, in addition to having an orderly atomic structure. It is different from a rock by the fact that these can be an aggregate of both minerals such as non-mineral, that they do not have a specific chemical composition. To the specialized study is minerals is called mineralogy, which is in turn a branch of geology.There are about 4,900 minerals known on planet Earth, and of those, about 4,660 have been approved by the international mineralogical Association, which brings together several agencies around the world to promote the study of minerals and regulate the naming of all of them. The abundance and availability of minerals is controlled by terrestrial chemistry. Thus, for example, Earth's crust is composed in 75% silicon and oxygen, which translates into an abundance of minerals called silicates. The abundance of the silicates is such that it is usually divided minerals into two main types: silicates and not silicates. In the second group we find organic minerals, oxides, carbonates and sulphates, among others.
Minerals are described according to a series of specific, as its hardness, colour or specific gravity physical characteristics, although more specific evidence as its resistance to acid, magnetism or radioactivity. The classification of minerals is quite varied, with some and may be classified with a simple test and other requieriendo tests complicated and costly, both in terms of time as money.
Minerals are characterized by having a series of interesting physical properties such as Crystal structure, resulting from the formation of patterns of geometric atoms arranged along all the ore. Another property is the hardness, which is defined as the resistance of the ore to suffer scratches. Today, the diamond is the hardest mineral on Earth.
5. Definition of Mineral
The mineral is an element or chemical compound that is in the nature of defined composition and particular atomic structure, formed by natural and inorganic processes.A rock can be composed of one or more minerals; for example, granite is an igneous rock composed of three minerals: feldspar, quartz and mica. In addition to finding minerals as part of the composition of the rocks, these also can be found pure in sufficient quantities that are exploited in the mines or deposits.
More than 3,000 species of minerals, most of which are characterized and are classified by their chemical composition, its crystalline structure and its physical properties (hardness, tenacity, color, brightness, diaphaneity, refraction, among others) are currently known.
Depending on its State or its structure, minerals can be: amorphous, in which elementary particles (atoms, molecules or ions) are not ordered regularly, or Crystal, in which particles are arranged and determined an internal structure, which if it transcends a configuration external and polyhedral form crystals.
Los minerales suelen estar clasificados por su composición química en ocho grupos: a) elementos nativos, b) sulfuros y sulfosales, c) halogenuros o haluros, d) óxidos e hidróxidos, e) boratos, nitratos y carbonatos, f) sulfatos, cromatos, volframatos y molibdatos, g) fosfatos, arseniatos y vanadatos, y h) silicatos.
Today, the minerals are of great importance due to its multiple applications in different fields. In the industry, they are very essential since without them could not produce some products; for example, fertilizers are manufactured by phosphate derivatives or nitratados; cement requires calcite to obtain; some medicines, cosmetics, pigments and paintings incorporate many minerals; Quartz is needed to produce glass, diamond or Ruby are used to make bracelets, rings and other jewelry.