Earth Sciences 1081A/B Lecture Notes - Relative Atomic Mass, Atomic Units, Chemical Substance
5 Dec 2013
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Document Summary
Partly because people do not learn about minerals early in their education, few truly appreciate their significance (a real pity). Also, minerals and the products derived from them are so imbedded in our lives, we scarcely think about them on a regular basis! Minerals are the building blocks of rocks - the very foundations of planet we live on! Provide the ultimate raw materials for much of the stuff we use on a daily basis (if it can"t be grown, it"s gotta be mined). Are the basis of our economy (especially true for canada) Are the basis of life (many elements essential to living things ultimately come from minerals) They dictate the chemistry of the oceans. They interact with the atmosphere (affecting climate and are relevant to pollution issues) Is non-living (inorganic: has a definite chemical composition. Is naturally occurring: has a crystalline internal structure, an ordered internal structure.
