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Chapter 1 Minerals: Building Blocks of Earth
1. List the five sections of this chapter (from p. 17):
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Minerals Versus Rocks
2. Read p. 18-19 and give the scientific definitions of:
a) rock: ________________________________________________________________________
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b) mineral ______________________________________________________________________
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3. Explain in your own words the relationship between rocks and minerals.
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4. What four characteristics must any earth material have in order to be called a mineral?
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Composition and Structure of Minerals
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Review p. 20-21 and think back to previous Science courses where you learned about atoms,
molecules, and elements:
 Atoms are the ____________ particles of matter, and contain ____________ (positive),
____________(negative), and ____________(neutral)
 The number of ____________ in an atom’s ____________ determines the atomic number
and name of the element
 In an atom the number of ____________ equals the number of ____________, so the atom is
electrically ____________(have no net charge), but it might be ____________
 Atoms often like to combine with other atoms to form particles called ____________; they
do this by ____________ or ____________ electrons
 This gain or loss of electrons results in an atom with a charge called an ____________
 The combining of elements is called ____________ and usually results in a compound with
____________ properties or characteristics from the starting elements
 This compound formed is usually ____________
 The properties of a compound determine the properties of the minerals they form; we will
discuss the properties of minerals in the next part of this chapter
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Activity: Combine Atoms
In this activity, you will construct models of an atom of two different elements, then combine
them to form a molecule of a compound.
1. Use the periodic table in Appendix G to find
the atomic number ____________ and atomic mass____________ for sodium (Na)
the atomic number ____________ and atomic mass ____________ for chlorine (Cl)
2. Collect a paper plate with playdough. Please make sure you clean up any mess at the end of
the activity.
3. Use the playdough to create a sodium “atom” and a chlorine “atom” based on the diagrams
on p. 21 and the information you recorded in #1. Use the following colour scheme:
Colour
Atomic Part
Blue
Orbitals (the invisible “shells” or “orbits” around
the nucleus where electrons are located
Green
Neutrons (neutral particles in the nucleus)
Red
Protons (positive particles in the nucleus)
Orange
Electrons (negative particles rapidly orbiting the
nucleus
4. State the properties of the element chlorine: _______________________________________
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5. State the properties of the element sodium: _______________________________________
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6. State the properties of the compound sodium chloride: ______________________________
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7. “Bond” your atoms by having chlorine gain an electron and sodium lose and electron.
What can you say about the charges of the chlorine ion and the sodium ion?
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What can you say about the stability of the compound you have created?
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