MineralsGroup4

Naturally occurring, solid, inorganic compounds or elements.
 * Minerals:**

All Minerals are naturally occurring and inorganic meaning that they form in nature and aren't living and never once living. (i.e. coal is not a mineral because it was formed from once living plants millions of years ago.) Next, every mineral has a definite crystalline structure. Last, it is a solid with specific compositions. Every mineral has a specific chemical composition that is unique to that mineral.
 * Characteristics of a Mineral:**
 * Chemical Properties of a Mineral:**
 * Atoms**: the building blocks of all matter. Molecules can be composed of two atoms of one element (known as //molecules//) or can be a combination of diatomic atoms of different elements.
 * Molecules:** Mixtures are groups of molecules that can be separated by physical means. Compounds are groups of molecules and can only be separated by chemical reactions.
 * Chemical Formula:** All minerals have a chemical formula, which is a conclusion of the types and amounts of elements in a mineral.
 * Radicals:** Radicals, or polyatomic ions, are special types of compounds. They act as if they were a single element when they join other elements to form molecules.
 * Hydrous Minerals:** Minerals containing water in there structure.
 * Mineral Series:** A number of minerals containing a varied amount of of two or more elements.
 * Atomical Variations:** There are certain elements that come in slight modifications(different ways). Some elements have different amounts of electrons and different atoms of the same element.
 * Formula Variables-** The formula of many minerals can be written in different formats. Some references may have one or two elements in the formula of a mineral that does not exist in the formula of a different reference.

__Color__** - not always the best way to identify, some minerals are different colors based on their origin, **__Luster__** - The way a mineral reflects light - metallic, pearly, glassy, silky, greasy, brilliant, or dull, **__Streak__** - Color of the streak made when rubbing the mineral across a rough surface (e.i. bathroom tile), **__Cleavage__** - when a certain mineral breaks in a certain way, **__Hardness__** - measure by how easy the mineral is scratched, **__Specific Gravity__** - relative weight compared to the weight of an equal volume of water - determines the density of the mineral.
 * Physical Properties of Minerals:

There are spacial properties other than the ones listed that can be used to indentify minerals such as magnetism, striations, double refraction, effervescence with hydrochloric acid, and florescence. Ex. Iceland Spar is a form of calcite with double refraction.
 * Special properties:**