Mineral

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mineral

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the dominant crustal group?Silicate minerals comprise approximately 90% of the Earth's crust
2. Why do minerals have crystal structures?The ordered arrangement of atoms inside a mineral creates its shape and determines how it behaves, such as how it splits or shines.
3. How do minerals form on Earth?Minerals form when hot rock melts and cools, when hot mineral‑rich water moves through rocks, or when existing rocks are squeezed and heated.

Mineraloid: A naturally occurring solid substance that lacks a definite crystalline structure, such as opal or obsidian.
Polymorph: Different crystalline forms of the same chemical compound, considered separate mineral species (e.g., diamond and graphite are polymorphs of carbon).
Solid Solution: A solid mixture where one mineral's structure incorporates variable amounts of other elements.
Hydrothermal Process: Mineral formation or deposition from hot, mineral-rich water circulating through rocks.