Mineral Basics: 16 flashcards
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1. What is a mineral?
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A mineral is a homogeneous, naturally occurring substance with a definite chemical composition. Rocks are combinations of minerals.
2. What is an ore?
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An ore is an accumulation of a mineral mixed with other elements, in sufficient concentration to make extraction commercially viable.
3. Name the two types of mineral occurrences in igneous and metamorphic rocks, and give an example of minerals found in them.
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Veins (smaller) and lodes (larger). Major metallic minerals like tin, copper, zinc, and lead are obtained from them.
4. How do minerals occur in sedimentary rocks? Give two examples.
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They occur in beds or layers formed by deposition, accumulation, and concentration in horizontal strata. Examples: coal, iron ore, gypsum, potash salt, sodium salt.
5. What is a placer deposit? Name two minerals found this way.
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Placer deposits are alluvial deposits in sands of valley floors and bases of hills, containing minerals not corroded by water. Examples: gold, silver, tin, platinum.
6. Which minerals are largely derived from ocean waters?
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Common salt, magnesium, and bromine. Ocean beds also contain manganese nodules.
7. What is the difference between a vein and a lode?
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A vein is a smaller occurrence of minerals in cracks/crevices, while a lode is a larger occurrence.
8. How is bauxite formed?
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Bauxite is formed by the decomposition of surface rocks and removal of soluble constituents, leaving a residual mass of weatherable material containing ores.
9. List the five main categories of minerals according to the classification in the source.
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Ferrous, Non-Ferrous, Precious, Non-Metallic, and Energy Minerals.
10. What are ferrous minerals? Give two examples.
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Ferrous minerals contain iron. Examples: iron ore, manganese, nickel, cobalt.
11. Which mineral is the finest iron ore and what is its iron content?
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Magnetite is the finest iron ore with up to 70% iron content. It has excellent magnetic qualities.
12. Which is the most important industrial iron ore, and what is its iron content?
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Hematite is the most important industrial iron ore, with an iron content of 50-60%.
13. Name the states that accounted for 97% of India's iron ore production in 2018-19.
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Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Jharkhand.
14. What is 'Rat-hole' mining and where is it practiced?
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Rat-hole mining is a type of coal mining done by family members in long narrow tunnels, practiced in Meghalaya (e.g., Jowai and Cherapunjee). It has been declared illegal by the National Green Tribunal.
15. Why are minerals in the vast alluvial plains of north India almost devoid of economic minerals?
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The vast alluvial plains of north India are almost devoid of economic minerals due to differences in geological structure, processes, and time involved in mineral formation.
16. What factors affect the economic viability of a mineral reserve?
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The concentration of mineral in the ore, the ease of extraction, and proximity to the market.
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