Chapter 1, Problem 1GST

To determine

The status of gold nugget, seawater, obsidian, ruby, quartz, glacial ice, cubic zirconia, and amber being a mineral or not.

Answer to Problem 1GST

Gold nugget, ruby, quartz, and glacial ice are minerals; seawater, obsidian, cubic zirconia, and amber are not considered as minerals, as they do not fit the criteria of being a mineral.

Explanation of Solution

“A mineral is an inorganic, naturally occurring solid formed by geological processes, possessing a crystalline structure and a definable chemical composition.”

1. a) Gold nugget - Gold is an example of a mineral, classified as a native element.
2. b) Seawater is not a mineral because minerals by definition are solids.
3. c) Obsidian is not a mineral because it lacks an internal arrangement of atoms; however, it is an igneous rock.
4. d) Ruby is a mineral. It is a gemstone variety of mineral corundum.
5. e) Quartz is a mineral.
6. f) Glacial ice is a mineral, as it meets all of the criteria of a mineral.
7. g) Cubic zirconia is not a mineral, as it is not naturally occurring, made in laboratories or by human interference.
8. h) Amber is not a mineral since it has an organic origin.