Mineral

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Minerals are substances that are formed naturally in the Earth. The study of minerals is called mineralogy.

A mineral is a solid and has a crystal structure. It also has a defined chemical composition.

A mineral can be a solid chemical element, or in most cases a solid compound. Two common minerals are quartz and feldspar.

There are over 4,000 known minerals.

Some uses of minerals:

[edit] Minerals and rocks

Minerals are different from rocks. A mineral is a chemical compound with a given composition and a defined crystal structure. A rock is a mixture of one or several minerals, in varying proportions.

[edit] See also

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