Rocks and Minerals of the Earth
Kate Hunter
Rocks:
A mineral material that forms parts of the Earth.
- formed naturally
- a solid
- made up of 1 or more minerals
Examples:
- Limestone: used as a soil conditioner in acidic soils, and in asphalt, concrete, and cement.
- Slate: used in constructive sites for roofing and flooring.
- Granite: used in exterior projects such as buildings, bridges, pavement, and monuments.
- Marble: used in architecture and sculpting, cosmetics, paint, paper, and the chemical properties are used in medicine and agriculture.
- Clay stone: raw material for ceramics, such as bricks and tiles.
- Chalk: used for making putty, writing in schools and workplaces, and drying hands or equipment in activities such as pool and rock climbing.
- Sandstone: used in plate glass, and in fine and common glassware.
- Shale: breaks down to form natural gases and oils.
Minerals:
A substance of natural occurrence
- a solid
- forms naturally
- has a definite chemical makeup
- has a crystal structure
Examples:
- Quartz: used for jewelry, dentistry, medicine, medallions, coins, and tools in the electronic and scientific fields.
- Halite: used in many human diets for food seasoning and preservation.
- Gypsum: used in cement manufacturing, agriculture, and as wallboard and building plaster.
- Pyrite: used to make sulfur, and to recover other metals to make jewelry.
- Silver: used in coins, medals, electronics, electrical devices, silverware, jewelry, and photography.
- Uranium: used in electricity, nuclear medicine, atomic dating, powering submarines, and other actions with the US defense system.
- Zinc: used in the agriculture, paint, rubber, and chemical industries.
How do rocks and minerals impact our daily lives?
Rocks and minerals are things that the human race has learned to depend on. Both rocks and minerals are ingredients in a lot of our technology that we use everyday: toothpaste, pencils, electronics, etc. Without rocks and minerals, we wouldn't have the ground to walk on. Rocks and minerals have a large impact on the lives of living beings everywhere as well, not just humans. Animals wouldn't have homes and food without the Earth's creations.