Learning objectives
The course objectives are to learn about:
1) Basics of morphological and lattice crystallography
2) the physical properties of minerals useful to their identification
3) systematics of the most common minerals in the Earth and planet as well as in their origin
4) minerals and modern society
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge on Inorganic chemistry, focussed on solid state chemistry
Course unit content
The mineralogy studies minerals that are the building bricks of rocks. The mineralogy is preliminary to courses on Nature and Environment because of the multiple interactions between minerals and man. The aim of the course is to provide the basics on the chemical and physical properties of minerals and the interaction between minerals and the environment, the role of mineral in a modern society and their origin.
Full programme
Part 1. Minerals' constitution
The main elements of the earth’s crust. Ionic radii and coordination polyhedra. The tetrahedron SiO4-. Polyhedra and Pauling’s rules.
Types of polymorphism and examples in minerals.
Isomorphism. Diagrams of state of mineralogical interest, at one, two and three components.
Part 2: Mineral varieties and mineral formation processes
Classification of minerals. Identification of the sample by hand: density, hardness, color, stability of minerals. Solid solutions.
Part 3. Minerals: how they are made
Mineralogical crystallography: Two- and three-dimensional lattices. Translational symmetry and crystalline systems. Morphological crystallography. Stenone and Hauy laws. Parametric face and Miller indexes.
Indexing of faces and edges. Elements of morphological symmetry of crystals. The 32 point groups and their morphologies. Stereographic projection: recognition and projection of symmetry elements and determination of point symmetry in ideal crystals.
Part 4: Chemical and physical properties: how minerals are recognized
Scalar, vector and tensor physical properties and relationships with the symmetry of minerals: examples of thermal expansion, compressibility, speed of light in the medium, hardness and magnetization. X-ray diffraction and mineral recognition: powder diffraction and interpretation.
Optical properties of minerals, refractive index, Snell’s law, optical indicatrix, orthoscopic and conoscopic observations
Bibliography
lesson notes; ppt slides shown during lectures are available in the elly repository for students.
Refence books
Klein Mineralogia, Zanichelli
Dyar et al Mineralogy and optical mineralogy, Mineralogical society of america
Philippot Earth meterials Cambridge university press
Wenk Mineralogy Cambridge university press
Teaching methods
Lessons.
Laboratory activities.
Assessment methods and criteria
Written test followed by oral exam.
The 'written' exam provides a number of open and/or multiple questions, concerning both exercises in the classroom and
questions related to the contents of the program.
The passing of the written (obtained by correctly answering at least half of the questions asked) admits in fact the
student to the oral test, which is mandatory.
The 'oral' exam focuses on the entire program. The passing of the oral exam involves the assignment of a grade,
expressed in thirtieth.
Other information
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