Question

title: mineral activity
instructions: complete the questions below using the provided table
common mineral uses
mineral use
bauxite aluminum, foll, plane parts
calcite medicine, toothpaste, building materials
copper electrical wire, sculptures
diamond cutting tool, gemstone
graphite pencils, lubricant in machinery
gypsum wall board
halite salt
quartz electronics, radios, computers
silver jewelry, photography, electrical equipment
sulfur fungicides, kills bacteria, fertilizer
talc baby powder

1. using the table, what are 3 minerals you have used in the past week and what form were they in?

mineral name how you used it

1. the following substances/items are not minerals. why? name or describe which of the criteria to be a mineral these substances violate.

a. water:
b. plastic:
c. apples:

1. the table above does not show all of the uses for the minerals listed. through your own research or personal knowledge, find one additional use for 2 of the minerals above. for example (and you cannot use this one!), copper is also used to make pipes.

1. diamond and graphite both have the same chemical composition. they are both made entirely of carbon. based on this fact and the uses shown in the table, what can you conclude about the importance of the arrangement of the atoms?

Explanation:

Step1: Answer question 1

Possible answers could be:

• Calcite: Used toothpaste which contains calcite.
• Halite: Ate food with added salt (halite).
• Quartz: Used a computer which has quartz - based components.

Step2: Answer question 2

a. Water: Minerals are solid, water is a liquid, violates the solid - state criterion.
b. Plastic: It is a synthetic material, not a naturally - occurring inorganic substance as minerals are.
c. Apples: They are organic, living (or once - living) matter, not inorganic like minerals.

Step3: Answer question 3

• Bauxite: Used in making automotive parts.
• Silver: Used in mirrors for its reflective properties.

Step4: Answer question 4

Even with the same chemical composition (carbon), diamond and graphite have different uses due to different atomic arrangements. Diamond's hard structure makes it a cutting tool and gemstone, while graphite's soft, flaky structure makes it useful in pencils and as a lubricant. This shows that the arrangement of atoms greatly affects the physical properties and thus the uses of a substance.

Answer:

1.

Mineral Name	How you used it
Halite	As salt in food
Quartz	In a computer

2.
a. Water is a liquid, minerals are solid.
b. Plastic is synthetic, not naturally - occurring inorganic.
c. Apples are organic, not inorganic.

1. Bauxite: Automotive parts; Silver: In mirrors.
2. The arrangement of atoms greatly affects the physical properties and uses of a substance, as seen with diamond and graphite which are both carbon but have different atomic arrangements and uses.