Do you know from the rock salt we use to eat to the Kohinoor placed in the crown of England’s queen are all minerals!! More than 4000 naturally occurring minerals have been found on earth. Metals, precious gems such as ruby, sapphire, diamonds etc. many valuable products we get from the minerals. Even coal, natural gas and petroleum are also types of minerals which are known as energy minerals or fossil fuels.
Some minerals are valuable due to their usage in various fields while some are because of their beauty, rarity and durability. Almost 90% of the earth crust is composed of silicate minerals. You must remember here that minerals and rocks are different. Minerals have a definite chemical structure which is the same throughout that mineral. While rocks are composed of many minerals and are not consistent throughout their structure.
What are Minerals?
Minerals can be defined as naturally occurring chemical compounds which are inorganic in nature and have definite chemical composition and structure. They are generally found in all three forms solid, liquid and gaseous in nature. Iron ore, bauxite, hematite, mica, salt, potash, coal, petroleum, natural gas etc. are examples of minerals.
Classification of Minerals
Minerals can be classified into the following three types on the basis of their composition –
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Metallic Minerals
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Non-metallic Minerals
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Energy Minerals
Metallic Minerals
Metals are obtained by extraction of these minerals. These are very valuable as they provide metals in pure form. Examples of metallic minerals – iron ore, bauxite, hematite etc.
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Non-Metallic Minerals
Those minerals which do not contain metals are called non-metallic minerals. Examples of non-metallic minerals – diamond, mica, salt, potash etc. The Kohinoor diamond placed on the crown of England’s queen is an example of non-metallic mineral.
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Energy Minerals
Those minerals which provide energy are called energy minerals. These are also known as fossil fuels. Examples of energy minerals – Coal, petroleum, natural gas etc.
Difference Between Metallic and Non-Metallic Minerals
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Energy minerals are studied under the category of fossil fuels. They are quite visibly different from metallic and non-metallic minerals. But generally, students get confused between metallic and non-metallic minerals so for your clear understanding we are providing here key differences between metallic and non-metallic minerals
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Metallic Mineral |
Non-Metallic Mineral |
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These minerals contain metals in their chemical composition. |
These minerals do not contain metals in their chemical composition. |
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These minerals have a shiny appearance of their own. |
These minerals don’t have a shiny appearance of their own. |
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These are generally obtained from igneous rocks. |
These are generally obtained from sedimentary rocks. |
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These are ductile. |
These are not ductile or brittle. |
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By the melting process, metals can be obtained from metallic minerals. |
These minerals do not yield any new product on melting. |
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These are malleable. |
These are non-malleable. |
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Ores of iron, aluminum, gold, silver are examples of metallic minerals. |
Diamond, slat, potash etc. are examples of non-metallic minerals. |
This was a brief about metallic and non-metallic minerals, if you are looking for detailed study material on the topic then register yourself on or download learning app for class 6-10, IIT JEE and NEET.
Conclusion
Minerals are the country’s natural resources, which can be used in a variety of ways. Mineral formation and concentration take hundreds of years, making it a finite and non-renewable resource. As a result, it is critical to save resources, which can be accomplished through recycling metals.
Non-metallic minerals, such as limestone, mica, and gypsum, do not contain any metals, according to the difference between metallic and non-metallic minerals. Metallic minerals, on the other hand, contain metal in its unprocessed form.