Question.
What is a mineral?
( Chapter - 5 Minerals and Energy Resources, Cass X NCERT Contemporary India -II )
Answer.
Minerals are naturally occurring homogeneous elements that have a definite internal structure. Minerals are mainly obtained from inside the ground but they are also present in our food and drink.
Minerals are an essential part of our life and are found in almost everything like food, water, needle, road, building, airplanes, etc.
Minerals are found in nature in various forms ranging from the hardest diamond to the softest talc.
So far, more than 2000 minerals have been identified. Some examples of minerals are iron ore, bauxite, mica, gold, diamond, coal, etc.
Minerals are generally of three types-
- metallic minerals
- nonmetallic minerals
- energy minerals
Metallic minerals contain metals, some examples of metallic minerals are iron ore, bauxite, etc.
Non-metallic minerals do not contain metals, some examples of non-metallic minerals are limestone, mica, sulfur, etc.
Energy minerals are used to generate energy. Some examples of energy minerals are coal, petroleum, uranium, thorium, etc.
Minerals are formed from certain combinations of elements depending on the physical and chemical conditions in physical form.
Minerals are usually found in "ores". Ore is used to describe an accumulation of minerals mixed with other elements. For example, bauxite is an ore of aluminum mineral.
The mineral content of the ore must be high enough to make it commercially viable.
You may like also:
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon