<Ol> <Li> Formed by a natural process ( anthropogenic compounds are excluded ) . </Li> <Li> Stable or metastable at room temperature ( 25 ° C ) . In the simplest sense , this means the mineral must be solid . Classical examples of exceptions to this rule include native mercury , which crystallizes at − 39 ° C , and water ice , which is solid only below 0 ° C ; because these two minerals were described before 1959 , they were grandfathered by the International Mineralogical Association ( IMA ) . Modern advances have included extensive study of liquid crystals , which also extensively involve mineralogy . </Li> <Li> Represented by a chemical formula . Minerals are chemical compounds , and as such they can be described by fixed or a variable formula . Many mineral groups and species are composed of a solid solution ; pure substances are not usually found because of contamination or chemical substitution . For example , the olivine group is described by the variable formula ( Mg , Fe ) SiO , which is a solid solution of two end - member species , magnesium - rich forsterite and iron - rich fayalite , which are described by a fixed chemical formula . Mineral species themselves could have a variable compositions , such as the sulfide mackinawite , ( Fe , Ni ) S , which is mostly a ferrous sulfide , but has a very significant nickel impurity that is reflected in its formula . </Li> <Li> Ordered atomic arrangement . This generally means crystalline , however , crystals are also periodic , so the broader criterion is used instead . An ordered atomic arrangement gives rise to a variety of macroscopic physical properties , such as crystal form , hardness , and cleavage . There have been several recent proposals to classify biogenic or amorphous substances as minerals . The formal definition of a mineral approved by the IMA in 1995 : `` A mineral is an element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline and that has been formed as a result of geological processes . '' </Li> <Li> Usually abiogenic ( not resulting from the activity of living organisms ) . Biogenic substances are explicitly excluded by the IMA : `` Biogenic substances are chemical compounds produced entirely by biological processes without a geological component ( e.g. , urinary calculi , oxalate crystals in plant tissues , shells of marine molluscs , etc . ) and are not regarded as minerals . However , if geological processes were involved in the genesis of the compound , then the product can be accepted as a mineral . '' </Li> </Ol>
<Ol> <Li> Formed by a natural process ( anthropogenic compounds are excluded ) . </Li> <Li> Stable or metastable at room temperature ( 25 ° C ) . In the simplest sense , this means the mineral must be solid . Classical examples of exceptions to this rule include native mercury , which crystallizes at − 39 ° C , and water ice , which is solid only below 0 ° C ; because these two minerals were described before 1959 , they were grandfathered by the International Mineralogical Association ( IMA ) . Modern advances have included extensive study of liquid crystals , which also extensively involve mineralogy . </Li> <Li> Represented by a chemical formula . Minerals are chemical compounds , and as such they can be described by fixed or a variable formula . Many mineral groups and species are composed of a solid solution ; pure substances are not usually found because of contamination or chemical substitution . For example , the olivine group is described by the variable formula ( Mg , Fe ) SiO , which is a solid solution of two end - member species , magnesium - rich forsterite and iron - rich fayalite , which are described by a fixed chemical formula . Mineral species themselves could have a variable compositions , such as the sulfide mackinawite , ( Fe , Ni ) S , which is mostly a ferrous sulfide , but has a very significant nickel impurity that is reflected in its formula . </Li> <Li> Ordered atomic arrangement . This generally means crystalline , however , crystals are also periodic , so the broader criterion is used instead . An ordered atomic arrangement gives rise to a variety of macroscopic physical properties , such as crystal form , hardness , and cleavage . There have been several recent proposals to classify biogenic or amorphous substances as minerals . The formal definition of a mineral approved by the IMA in 1995 : `` A mineral is an element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline and that has been formed as a result of geological processes . '' </Li> <Li> Usually abiogenic ( not resulting from the activity of living organisms ) . Biogenic substances are explicitly excluded by the IMA : `` Biogenic substances are chemical compounds produced entirely by biological processes without a geological component ( e.g. , urinary calculi , oxalate crystals in plant tissues , shells of marine molluscs , etc . ) and are not regarded as minerals . However , if geological processes were involved in the genesis of the compound , then the product can be accepted as a mineral . '' </Li> </Ol>
what are the 5 main characteristics of a mineral
what are the 5 main characteristics of a mineral
Formed by a natural process Stable or metastable at room temperature Represented by a chemical formula Ordered atomic arrangement Usually abiogenic
Formed by a natural process Stable or metastable at room temperature Represented by a chemical formula Ordered atomic arrangement Usually abiogenic