What are minerals?
- Minerals are natural substances of organic or inorganic origin with definite chemical and physical properties.
- Minerals may contain two or more elements but sometimes single minerals are also found such as sulfur, copper, silver, gold, and graphite.
- It is found in Metamorphic and igneous rock which is naturally formed in Peninsular India.
- Mineral resources are necessary for Industrial Revolution development.
- The basic source of all minerals is hot magma.
The following are the main characteristics of minerals:
- Minerals are unequally distributed over space.
- There is an inverse relationship between the quality and quantity of minerals. Good quality minerals are less in quantity
- All the minerals are exhaustible over time
- It takes a very long time to replenish
- Need to conserve for long-run sustainability
Based on the chemical and physical properties of minerals may be grouped into two major categories:
- Metallic minerals
- Non-metallic minerals
Metallic minerals:
- Ferrous metallic minerals that contain iron such as iron ore and Manganese
- The non-ferrous metallic mineral does not contain iron as bauxite and copper.
Non-metallic minerals:
- Minerals that do not contain metals.
- Fossil fuels:
- It is of organic origins such as coal, and petroleum.
- Other non-metallic minerals:
- It does not contain metals. Examples, Limestone, Mica, Gypsum, Coal, and petroleum.
For a detailed explanation, watch the below video:
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