Types of minerals

Before we go into the many sorts of minerals, it's important to understand what they are. We extract a variety of elements from the earth's crust. Metal ores, coal, oil, sand, and so forth. Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic substances that exist in solid form for the purposes of this definition. Minerals have distinct chemical structures, formulas, and crystal formations. Minerals differ in terms of physical attributes such as color, density, crystal structure, hardness, and so on. Some minerals may be found in greater quantity than others. For example, silica is the most prevalent mineral in the earth's crust. The abundance might also differ from one region to the next.

Types

Broadly, minerals can be classified as follows:

• Metallic Minerals: Metallic minerals are formed by a variety of metals by reacting with other elements. These minerals show physical properties similar to metals, such as shine. Depending on the chemical composition, they can be oxides, sulfides, carbonates, halides, etc. But some of the metallic minerals are also found in their pure forms, like gold. Iron is the most commonly used metal on our planet. Therefore, a sub-classification of metallic minerals can also be in the form of ferrous and non-ferrous minerals. Ferrous minerals contain iron, whereas non-ferrous minerals do not. Metallic minerals include all metallic ores such as magnetite, pyrite, bauxite, hematite, and others.
   
• Non-Metallic Minerals: Because they do not contain any metals, they exhibit non-metallic physical qualities. Despite the fact that humans cannot extract metals from these minerals, non-metallic minerals are extremely useful to humanity. Silica is one of the most plentiful non-metallic minerals and is widely utilized in buildings. Coal is used to generate heat, which is then utilized to generate electricity in thermal power plants. Diamond is a sparse mineral that is used in jewelry as a gemstone. The categorization of minerals outlined above is on a large scale. You may also delve deeper into each classification for further information, but it is outside the scope of this article.

Examples of Minerals and Their Uses

Here is a list of minerals that are immensely used to improve our daily lives.

• Hematite: It is an iron oxide and a metallic mineral. It is used to extricate iron and is one of the abundant iron ores. Other iron ores are limonite, magnetite, and siderite.
• Gold: Gold is also a metallic mineral that is generally found in its elemental form or as an alloy with mercury or silver. Gold has been used for centuries as jewelry and as a store of value or currency.
• Coal: Coal is a black hard substance that is mostly carbon. It is one of the frequently used fossil fuels. It was primitively used to run steam engines. But now it is mostly used to manufacture electricity in thermal stations of power. It is also utilized as a domestic fuel.
• Diamond: Diamond is another form of carbon that is one of the hardest substances of nature. Some diamonds are very radiant and are used in jewelry making. Other diamonds are used as cutters in industries.
• Coal: It is a dark, hard material composed primarily of carbon. It is one of the most popular fossil fuels. It was once used to power steam engines, but it is currently mostly utilized to generate electricity in thermal power plants. It is also utilized as a residential fuel, however on a small scale.
• Diamond: It is a kind of carbon that is one of the hardest things known in nature. Some diamonds have a high luster and are used as decorations. Other diamonds that are not utilized in jewelry are used as cutters in industries.