simple overview of our 2nd lesson: Minerals

Our second lesson on earth science is about minerals and rocks.


In our lesson, it is said that minerals are naturally occurring, is a solid substance, it is in an orderly crystalline structure, it has a definite chemical composition, and is generally considered organic. The ways on how minerals are formed are through the crystallization of magma, precipitation, through pressure and temperature, and through hydro thermal solutions. 


We also discussed about the different mineral groups which consist of Silicates, Carbonates, Oxides, Sulfates and Sulfides, Halides, and Native Elements. 


Silicates - Silicon and oxygen combine to form a structure called the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron. This silicon-oxygen tetrahedron provides the framework of every silicate mineral


Carbonates - Minerals that contain the elements carbon, oxygen, and one or more other metallic elements


Oxides - Minerals that contain oxygen and one or more other elements, which are usually metals


Sulfates and Sulfides - Minerals that contain the element sulfur.


Halides - Minerals that contain a halogen ion plus one or more other elements. 


Native Elements - Minerals that exist in relatively pure form.




Here are the properties of Minerals


Color - small amounts of different elements can give the same mineral different colors.


Streak - is the color of minerals in its powdered form. The color of the mineral in its solid form doesn't always translate the same color when it is in its powdered form.


Luster - is used to describe how light is reflected from the surface of a mineral.


Crystal Form - is the visible expression of a mineral's internal arrangement of atoms.


Hardness - is a measure of the resistance of a mineral  to being scratched.


Mohs Scale - Consists of 10 minerals arranged from 10 - 1. 1 being the softest.


Cleavage - is the tendency of a mineral to cleave, or break, along flat, even surfaces. 


Fracture - minerals that do not show cleavage when broken are said to fracture. Fracture is the uneven breakage of a mineral.


Density - is a property of all matter that is the ratio of an object's mass to its volume










the topics that are written in this page were checked by my professor, Mr. Crisencio Paner. Learn more about him.

First Lesson on Earth Science

We just had our first lesson on Earth Science last Wednesday. It was and overview and introduction on Earth Science and we were informed on the things that we are to learn this semester. It was somehow a refresher and a teaser for me. A refresher because some of the topics were already discussed in my high school days and it was very nostalgic; I also see it as a teaser because I got excited about the lessons that were going to be taught to us in the semester. So let me just go over some the things we discussed on Earth Science introduction.

I learned that Earth Science includes Geology, Oceanography, Meteorology, and Astronomy. Geology is the science that deals with the dynamics and physical history of the earth. Oceanography deals with the study of the ocean. Meteorology is the science dealing with the atmosphere and its phenomena,including weather and climate. Astronomy is the science that deals with the material universe beyond the earth's atmosphere. I have also learned something about the Earth's formation. I learned about the Nebular Hypothesis. Included is the link to a very simple video to give you a basic overview on the Nebular Hypothesis. 

I've also learned about the major spheres of the earth which include the Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere, and Geosphere. Geosphere was familiar for me since it was discussed in high school. The geosphere includes the crust, mantle, and core of the earth. We also discussed a little about plate tectonics which I am also interested in. Longitude and Latitude were also discussed.

I am very interested in studying earth and life science this semester. I'm not really a science geek type of person, but somehow, I'm excited about this semester and what I am going to learn in Earth science. Maybe It's because it's been 2 years that I'm studying things all related to art and advertising. Maybe I'm just in a state of "umay" on things like arts and such. That's it. As I said, we only discussed an overview of all the lessons on Earth Science. We haven't gone to the details of each lesson yet but I'm looking forward to it.


the topics that are written in this page were checked by my professor, Mr. Crisencio Paner. Learn more about him.