- 2074 Asoj · 1.5 marks
Classification of minerals
Short answer
Minerals are classified by abundance (rock-forming, accessory, ore), chemically (native elements, sulphides, oxides, silicates, etc.), and by colour (felsic light, mafic dark). Silicates are the largest group, about 90% of the crust.
How do you classify minerals?
Minerals are classified in several ways.
1. Based on abundance and role in rocks
- Rock-forming minerals: abundant, form the bulk of rocks (quartz, feldspar, mica, amphibole, pyroxene, olivine, calcite).
- Accessory minerals: occur in small amounts (zircon, apatite, magnetite).
- Ore minerals: contain metals of economic value (galena, hematite, chalcopyrite).
2. Chemical classification (most common)
- Native elements (gold, graphite), sulphides (pyrite), oxides (hematite), halides (halite), carbonates (calcite), sulphates (gypsum), phosphates (apatite) and silicates (the largest group, about 90% of the crust).
3. Colour-based
- Felsic (light-coloured: quartz, feldspar) and mafic (dark: pyroxene, olivine, biotite).
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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