OK, now that you know what the word "mineral" means to you, Let's see what it means to a geologist.
OK, so a mineral has a very specific definition. It must be:
- Naturally occurring
Minerals cannot be man-made. Even if a substance is chemically the same as a mineral, if it is man-made, it is not a mineral.
Learn more about what "naturally occurring" means. - Inorganic
In geology, inorganic means "not part of a living thing." Bones, teeth, pearls, seashells, and amber were all produced by living things, so they are not minerals.
Learn more about what "inorganic" means. - Solid
Here we are talking about states of matter. Minerals cannot be liquids, gases, plasmas, etc. They must be solids.
Learn more about what "solid" means. - Have a definite chemical formula
Each mineral has its own chemical formula that does not change from one specimen to another.
Learn more about what "chemical formula" means. - Have an internal crystalline structure.
Many minerals form crystals you can see, but all of them have molecules that are arranged in a crystalline structure.
Learn more about what "internal crystalline structure" means.
After taking the definition one piece at a time, it should be easy to decide if something is a mineral or not, right? Ready to give it a try? Try putting it all together.