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What are minerals? |
by Brian Griffin (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
Dietary minerals are special minerals, like iron, that occur in some food and help our bodies stay healthy! Don’t try to eat something made out of iron though! It’s only in very small amounts that minerals are healthy, and they occur naturally in our food.
Pet Rock
Back in the 1970s there was a trendy pet called the pet rock. It was just a rock! Very easy to take care of, and you don’t ever have to walk them or clean up after them! Of course, it was more of a joke gift than an actual pet.
Try looking for your own pet rock. When you find one that you think will make a good pet, take a close look at it. See if you can spot different minerals that make it up. You might not know what the names of the minerals are, but you should be able to see where the different ones are. Most rocks are speckled, and each of those specks is a type of mineral! How many different types of minerals do you see in your pet rocks?
You may have heard commercials where certain food or health products contain certain minerals that make you healthy. You may have played the game 20 Questions and heard someone ask if the mystery item was an animal, vegetable or mineral. But just what are minerals?
Minerals are a special type of substance, and there are a few things required for something to be considered a mineral:
First, the material must be solid. That means it must keep its shape. Ice is actually considered a mineral, but liquid water is not.
A mineral must also be naturally occurring. If a person makes it, it’s not a mineral. The mineral quartz that is found in nature is a mineral, but if it’s made in a laboratory, it is not.
A mineral must also be made of only one thing. It can’t have different parts. It has to be the same throughout. Gold is a mineral, but a rock (like granite) that’s made up of many different minerals is not!
Minerals are used in lots of things—from clocks (minerals like silica) to skis (graphite) to toothpaste (fluorite)!
Minerals are a special type of substance, and there are a few things required for something to be considered a mineral:
First, the material must be solid. That means it must keep its shape. Ice is actually considered a mineral, but liquid water is not.
A mineral must also be naturally occurring. If a person makes it, it’s not a mineral. The mineral quartz that is found in nature is a mineral, but if it’s made in a laboratory, it is not.
A mineral must also be made of only one thing. It can’t have different parts. It has to be the same throughout. Gold is a mineral, but a rock (like granite) that’s made up of many different minerals is not!
Minerals are used in lots of things—from clocks (minerals like silica) to skis (graphite) to toothpaste (fluorite)!
Dietary minerals are special minerals, like iron, that occur in some food and help our bodies stay healthy! Don’t try to eat something made out of iron though! It’s only in very small amounts that minerals are healthy, and they occur naturally in our food.
Pet Rock
Back in the 1970s there was a trendy pet called the pet rock. It was just a rock! Very easy to take care of, and you don’t ever have to walk them or clean up after them! Of course, it was more of a joke gift than an actual pet.
Try looking for your own pet rock. When you find one that you think will make a good pet, take a close look at it. See if you can spot different minerals that make it up. You might not know what the names of the minerals are, but you should be able to see where the different ones are. Most rocks are speckled, and each of those specks is a type of mineral! How many different types of minerals do you see in your pet rocks?
