What is a mineral?
When you see a glittering crystal in our Museum you would probably say it was a mineral - and you'd almost certainly be right. But can you say what a mineral really is?
Defining a mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic solid, with a definite chemical composition, and an ordered atomic arrangement. This may seem a bit of a mouthful, but if you break it down it becomes simpler.
- Minerals are naturally occurring
They are not made by humans - Minerals are inorganic
They have never been alive and are not made up from plants or animals - Minerals are solids
They are not liquids (like water), or gases (like the air around you) - Minerals have a definite chemical composition
Each one is made of a particular mix of chemical elements - Minerals have an ordered atomic arrangement
The chemical elements that make up each mineral are arranged in a particular way - this is why minerals 'grow' as crystals
Still confused? If you read these pages and complete the quiz, you should have a pretty good idea of what a mineral is.
Defining a mineral
Why is a mineral like a cake?
The tricky bits ... atoms, molecules and the rest
What is a mineral? The quiz!