Common Silicate Minerals
| Mineral |
Chemical formula |
Type of rocks that they are commonly found within |
Picture |
How People Use Them |
|
| Olivine |
(Mg, Fe)2SiO4 |
Ultramafic igneous rocks |
|
A gemstone! |
| Pyroxene group |
(Mg, Fe)SiO2 |
Basaltic igneous rocks |
(coming soon!) |
. |
| Amphibole group (example: hornblende) |
(Ca2Mg5)Si8O22(OH)2 |
Andesitic igneous rocks |
|
. |
| Micas |
Biotite:
K(Mg, Fe)3Si3O10(OH)2
Muscovite:
KAl3Si3O10(OH)2 |
Andesitic igneous rocks |
|
Colonial Americans used sheets of mica as window glass. |
| Feldspars |
Orthoclase: KAlSi3O8
Plagioclase:
(Ca, Na)AlSi3O8 |
Granitic igneous rocks |
|
Important for making ceramics and glass |
| Quartz |
SiO2 |
Granitic igneous rocks |
|
Quartz is the raw material for glass and helps clocks keep time. |
* Click on images above for full size.
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This special issue of The Earth Scientist, which focuses on Earth System science, was sponsored by The Pennsylvania State University TESSE Team. The issue features the work of middle and high school teachers, and graduate and undergraduate students who have participated in the TESSE program from 2006 - 2009.
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Olivine looks like little green crystals. It is typically found in some igneous and metamorphic rocks. Often the crystals are so small that you need to use your hand lens or magnifying glass to see them
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There are several different minerals within the amphibole group, but the most common type is hornblende. You can find small crystals of hornblende in many types of igneous rocks. They often look like little
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Mica minerals make some rocks sparkle! They are often found in igneous rocks such as granite and metamorphic rocks such as schist. They sparkle because light is reflected on their flat surfaces, which
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Feldspar is the most common mineral in the Earth’s crust, so you are very likely to find it in the rocks you collect! It is found it all of the three rock types, but is most common in intrusive igneous
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Quartz is one of the most common mineral in Earth’s crust! Silica (Si) and Oxygen (O) are the only elements within pure quartz. If a cooling magma has silica leftover after feldspars form, quartz is likely
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Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. They are non-living, solid, and, like all matter, are made of atoms of elements. There are many different types of minerals and each type is made of particular
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