Click on each of the environments below. High pressure Low temperature Low pressure Low temperature Low pressure High temperature The minerals kyanite, andalusite, and sillimanite all have the same formula,…

Would you expect the space inside an 8-coordinated site to be smaller or larger than 4- or 6-coordination? smaller larger The amount of space inside a tetrahedron of four oxygens…

Si4+tetrahedra like this one are the fundamental building blocks of silicate minerals. Click the play button to view the Si4+ terahedron below. Next Chapter

Click the playbutton to view the mineral structure of sylvite. Naturally-occurring potassium chloride is the mineral species sylvite, which is used as a salt substitute (though it has a rather…

Silicon and oxygen are by far the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust, so it is no surprise that combinations of Si and O are the fundamental building blocks…

Olivine group minerals Fayalite (Fe2SiO4)Forsterite (Mg2SiO4)Several different mineral species make up the mineral group olivine, including fayalite and forsterite as shown here. Olivine group minerals make up a significant proportion…

A theoretical model for the location of platy hydroxylapatite crystals in human bones. Minerals are defined as typically inorganic, however, the human body produces minerals. Click on all of the…