How many mineral groups are there

This is called ionic substitution. These elements can occur as either major elements in the mineral structure, or as trace elements in tiny amounts. Silicates are minerals with silicon and oxygen linked together as a major component, and can be classified according to the way in which other atoms present are linked to these silicon and oxygen atoms. Minerals are listed in groups by mineral name, chemical composition and crystal system.

A large group of generally hydrous alumino-silicates which contain open cavities in their structure. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Image credit: gadigal yilimung shield made by Uncle Charles Chicka Madden. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more. Skip to main content Skip to acknowledgement of country Skip to footer On this page Some of the minerals in this group are rare and valuable.

Gold, silver, sulfur, and diamond are examples of native elements. The basic carbonate structure is one carbon atom bonded to three oxygen atoms. Carbonates include other elements, such as calcium, iron, and copper. Calcite CaCO 3 is the most common carbonate mineral Figure below. Azurite and malachite, shown in the Figure below, are carbonates that contain copper instead of calcium.

Halide minerals are salts that form when salt water evaporates. Halite is a halide mineral, but table salt is not the only halide. The chemical elements known as the halogens fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine bond with various metallic atoms to make halide minerals see Figure below. Oxides contain one or two metal elements combined with oxygen. Many important metals are found as oxides. Hematite Fe 2 O 3 , with two iron atoms to three oxygen atoms, and magnetite Fe 3 O 4 Figure below , with three iron atoms to four oxygen atoms, are both iron oxides.

Phosphate minerals are similar in atomic structure to the silicate minerals. In the phosphates, phosphorus, arsenic, or vanadium bond to oxygen to form a tetrahedra.

There are many different minerals in the phosphate group, but most are rare Figure below. Sulfate minerals contain sulfur atoms bonded to oxygen atoms.

Like halides, they form where salt water evaporates. The sulfate group contains many different minerals, but only a few are common. Gypsum is a common sulfate with a variety of appearances Figure below.

Some gigantic meter gypsum crystals have been found. That is about as long as a school bus! Although the orange crystals on the left looks nothing like the white sands on the right, both the crystals and sands are gypsum. Sulfides are formed when metallic elements combine with sulfur. Unlike sulfates, sulfides do not contain oxygen. People may mistake pyrite for gold because the two minerals are shiny, metallic, and yellow in color. Skip to main content.

Search for:. Identify the groups in which minerals are classified and their characteristics. Vocabulary chemical compound crystal inorganic mineral silicates Introduction Minerals are categorized based on their chemical composition.

Sulphide minerals Figure 5. Some other sulphide minerals are pyrite, bornite, stibnite, and arsenopyrite. Sulphide minerals tend to have a metallic sheen. Many sulphate minerals form when sulphate-bearing water evaporates. A deposit of sulphate minerals may indicate that a lake or sea has dried up at that location. Sulphates with calcium include anhydrite, and gypsum Figure 5.

Sulphates with barium and strontium are barite and celestite, respectively. The anions in halides are the halogen elements including chlorine, fluorine, and bromine. Examples of halide minerals are cryolite, fluorite, and halite Figure 5.

Halide minerals are made of ionic bonds. Like the sulphates, some halides also form when mineral-rich water evaporates. The copper minerals malachite and azurite are also carbonates. The carbonate mineral calcite is the main component of rocks formed in ancient seas by organisms such as corals and algae.