{"id":13270,"date":"2014-02-07T20:16:30","date_gmt":"2014-02-07T20:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=13270"},"modified":"2026-03-26T09:30:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:30:06","slug":"rocks-vs-minerals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/rocks-vs-minerals\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocks vs. Minerals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_DOzOloewb9g\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_DOzOloewb9g\" data-source-videoID=\"DOzOloewb9g\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Rocks vs. Minerals Video\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Rocks vs. Minerals\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_DOzOloewb9g:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_DOzOloewb9g {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/new-new-thumb-5.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_DOzOloewb9g\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_DOzOloewb9g\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Rocks vs. Minerals\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_DOzOloewb9g\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_DOzOloewb9g\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_DOzOloewb9g\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<br \/>\n<p><script>\nfunction 0Te_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"0Te\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"0Te_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"0Te\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Minerals\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Minerals<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Rocks\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Rocks<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Review\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Hi, and welcome to this video on the difference between rocks and minerals! In this video, we\u2019ll learn what rocks and minerals actually are and look at several different types as we talk about the differences between them. Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n<p>So, what\u2019s the difference between rocks and minerals? In short, rocks are made up of a variety of different materials, including some minerals. The amount of mineral that\u2019s in a rock will vary depending on what rock you\u2019re looking at. For example, <strong>granite<\/strong> is made mostly of the minerals quartz and feldspar. On the other hand, a soft sedimentary rock like <strong>limestone<\/strong> might contain traces of pyrite but is not primarily composed of that mineral. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Minerals\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Minerals<\/h2>\n<p>\nA mineral is a solid, inorganic, naturally occurring, ordered arrangement of an element or compound that has a fairly specific composition. When I say, \u201cordered arrangement of an element or compound,\u201d I mean it has a crystalline structure. This internal crystalline structure repeats indefinitely. This means that if you had a piece of a mineral, and smashed it with a hammer, all the tiny pieces that broke off will have the same internal crystalline structure as the larger piece:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Hammer-hitting-mineral.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-211786\" style=\"box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 3px grey\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Hammer-hitting-mineral.webp 500w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Hammer-hitting-mineral-300x169.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>No matter how small you make that piece of the mineral, it will always retain its crystalline structure. A great example of this is halite, which you might know better as rock salt.<\/p>\n<p>The bonds between sodium ions, Na+, and chloride ions, Cl-, always arrange themselves in this very specific way. This crystalline structure forms <strong>halite<\/strong>. The bonds here are electrostatic, meaning there is an attraction between the positively charged sodium cations and the negatively charged chloride anions.<\/p>\n<p>A mineral example of this would be a <strong>diamond<\/strong>, which is a very specific arrangement of carbon atoms.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of diamonds, let\u2019s take a quick look at polymorphs. <strong>Polymorphs<\/strong> are the same compound, same composition, but with different crystalline structures. Diamond, the hardest naturally occurring mineral, is used for cutting and polishing and has a three-dimensional compact framework of specifically arranged carbon atoms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Graphite<\/strong>, the stuff inside the pencils you write with, is also made of a specific arrangement of carbon atoms. So if diamonds and graphite are made of the same thing, why is graphite so soft, while diamonds are so hard? Well, take a look at the difference between the two structures:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/graphite-and-diamond.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"890\" height=\"460\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-87463\" style=\"box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 3px grey\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/graphite-and-diamond.png 1780w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/graphite-and-diamond-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/graphite-and-diamond-1024x529.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/graphite-and-diamond-768x397.png 768w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/graphite-and-diamond-1536x794.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 890px) 100vw, 890px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Even though they\u2019re made of the same thing, their structures are pretty different. Graphite consists of sheets of carbon atoms instead of the more robust cube shape we see in diamond\u2019s structure. The atoms are strongly bonded within the sheets but are very weak between the layers.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes there are compositional variations in minerals, where ions of similar size can switch with one another without disrupting the mineral\u2019s internal framework. These are known as solid solution materials. For example, the mineral olivine has two different variations: fayalite and forsterite.<\/p>\n<p>See how the iron and magnesium are interchangeable? This is an example of a solid solution.<\/p>\n<p>There are also things called <strong>mineraloids<\/strong>, which are naturally occurring geologic materials, but they do not have a crystalline structure. They may look like minerals, but don\u2019t be fooled \u2013 since there is no crystalline structure, they are not minerals.<\/p>\n<p>An example of a mineraloid is obsidian, which is volcanic glass. If you took a piece of obsidian and smashed it with a hammer, you would see it does not break on the same planes and retain its crystalline structure (because it doesn\u2019t have one).<\/p>\n<p>Minerals are generally classified by their anions or anionic group. But more broadly, they are classified as silicate or non-silicate minerals, with silicate minerals being the most common.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Silicate_Minerals\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Silicate Minerals<\/h3>\n<p>\nThe silicate minerals, made from silicon and oxygen, have five basic structures: <\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<ol style=\"margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px;\">\n<li>Independent tetrahedra<\/li>\n<li>Single chain<\/li>\n<li>Double chain<\/li>\n<li>Sheet<\/li>\n<li>3D framework<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/five-structures.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1839\" height=\"1029\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-87466\" style=\"box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 3px grey\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/five-structures.png 1839w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/five-structures-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/five-structures-1024x573.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/five-structures-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/five-structures-1536x859.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1839px) 100vw, 1839px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Silicate minerals include olivine, quartz, chert, feldspar, mica, and kaolinite. Most rock-forming minerals are silicates, and the feldspar group is most abundant in the Earth\u2019s crust.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Nonsilicate_Minerals\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Non-silicate Minerals<\/h3>\n<p>\nThe non-silicate minerals can be further classified into carbonates, oxides, halides, sulfates, sulfides, and native minerals. The <strong>carbonate group<\/strong> contains carbon and oxygen bonded with another element. The <strong>oxide group<\/strong> contains oxygen bonded with metal. The <strong>halide group<\/strong> contains chlorine or fluorine, typically bonded with a metal from the left side of the periodic table. The <strong>sulfate group<\/strong> contains sulfur combined with oxygen and bonded to a metal. The <strong>sulfide group<\/strong> contains sulfur bonded with metal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Native minerals<\/strong> simply contain a single element.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s switch gears and talk about rocks. <\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Rocks\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Rocks<\/h2>\n<p>\nThere are three types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Most of the earth\u2019s crust is made of igneous rock. Do you remember what type of minerals are primarily found in the earth\u2019s crust? Silicate minerals, which means that igneous rocks are made up of silicate minerals.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Igneous_Rocks\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Igneous Rocks<\/h3>\n<p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/four-types.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"864\" height=\"634\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-87472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/four-types.png 864w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/four-types-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/four-types-768x564.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Igneous rocks can be dark or light. Igneous rocks that are rich in iron or magnesium are also low in silica and tend to be dark. Igneous rocks that contain more potassium, sodium, or calcium instead of iron or magnesium are higher in silica and tend to be lighter. There are four types of igneous rocks that can be ranked by their composition: <strong>felsic<\/strong>, which are lightest in color and highest in silica; <strong>intermediate<\/strong>; <strong>mafic<\/strong>; and <strong>ultramafic<\/strong>, which are darkest in color and lowest in silica.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Sedimentary_Rocks\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Sedimentary Rocks<\/h3>\n<p>\nJust as igneous rocks can be further classified by their mineral composition, so can sedimentary rocks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Detrital<\/strong> sedimentary rocks are composed of clay minerals, quartz, feldspars, and micas. They are formed from sediments that have been weathered and transported by the environment. These types of rocks are generally distinguished by their particle size.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chemical<\/strong> sedimentary rocks can be made from minerals like calcite, aragonite, and different varieties of chert. These rocks are formed from precipitated material that was once in a solution; either through an inorganic process like evaporation or through organic processes carried out by water-dwelling organisms.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Metamorphic_Rocks\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Metamorphic Rocks<\/h3>\n<p>\nYou probably get the picture by now\u2014metamorphic rocks can also be classified based on the minerals which they contain. In this case, though, it\u2019s a little different. Because metamorphic rocks form due to the increased temperature and\/or pressure of another type of rock, each metamorphic rock will have a \u201cparent\u201d rock.<\/p>\n<p>For example, quartzite is a metamorphic rock, and its parent rock is quartz, which is a silicate mineral. Marble is a metamorphic rock, and its parent rock is limestone, which is a non-silicate mineral in the carbonate group.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span id=\"Review\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Review<\/h2>\n<p>\nOkay, now that we\u2019ve covered all the details of rocks and minerals, let\u2019s go over a couple of review questions to see what you remember!<\/p>\n<p>1. Which one of the following is not a definitive characteristic of a mineral?<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>Solid<\/li>\n<li>Naturally occurring<\/li>\n<li>Organic<\/li>\n<li>Crystalline structure<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer1')\">Show Answer<\/button><\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer1\" style=\"display:none; box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey; background-color:#E0E0E0; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 60%; margin: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<strong>The correct answer is C.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Minerals are inorganic substances, as opposed to organic substances like plants and animal matter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n2. Which of the following is not a type of igneous rock?<\/p>\n<ol style=\"list-style: upper-alpha;\">\n<li>Silicate<\/li>\n<li>Felsic<\/li>\n<li>Mafic<\/li>\n<li>B &#038; C<\/li>\n<li>A &#038; B<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer2')\">Show Answer<\/button><\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer2\" style=\"display:none; box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey; background-color:#E0E0E0; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 60%; margin: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<strong>The correct answer is A.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The four types of igneous rocks are felsic, intermediate, mafic, and ultramafic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nI hope this review was helpful! 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