Materials Included In Kit

Prelab Preparation

1. Photocopy a set of Mineral Rummy Directions for Play for each student.
2. Remove the 16 mineral cards from each set of cellophane-wrapped cards. Wrap each set of mineral cards with a rubber band and the remaining Mineral Rummy cards from each set with another rubber band.

Lab Hints

• Enough materials are provided in this kit for 24 students working in groups of six or for 4 groups of students. At least one round can reasonably be completed in one 45- to 50-minute class period. The Prelab Questions may be completed before playing the game, and the Post-Lab Questions on the worksheet may be completed the day after the activity.
• The instructor should become familiar with the game before students begin play.
• Students should play a practice game as they read through the rules of Mineral Rummy before playing for points. Encourage students to look at all the mineral cards available and the ion cards and to discuss the game objectives in their own words before beginning play as well.
• Players may determine in advance to play for a set number of points (usually 300–500) or a certain number of rounds, in which case the player with the highest total points wins the game.

Teacher Tips

• This integrated activity is appropriate for the study of minerals as well as elements, ions, and chemical bonding.
• Students should be familiar with naming chemical compounds and with chemical formulas.
• The silicate ion in the deck of cards is represented by [SiO] instead of [SiO₄] because of the varied complex chemical structures of the silicates. Seven subgroups of silicates are determined by the number of shared oxygen ions per silica tetrahedron. These subgroups include independent and double tetrahedrons, single and double silica chains, ring, sheet and framework silicates.

  Mineral Rummy Mineral Cards

  {12834_Tips_Table_1}
• Minerals with the hydroxide ion are sometimes called hydrous or basic minerals. For example, talc is hydrous magnesium silicate and turquoise is basic copper aluminum phosphate. To avoid confusion, any minerals in this Mineral Rummy game that include the hydroxide ion have “hydroxide” at the end of the chemical name. For example, kaolinite is described as aluminum silicate hydroxide instead of hydrous aluminum silicate.
• Students may wonder why the formula for apatite given on its mineral card does not have balanced charges. Apatite (calcium phosphate) also includes either a hydroxide (hydroxyapatite), fluoride (fluorapatite) or chloride (chlorapatite) ion. Its chemical formula is written Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH,F,Cl).
• Game playing in the classroom has several benefits. In addition to introducing and reinforcing science concepts, critical thinking skills are employed as students develop strategies while playing the game. Students also learn from one another while engaging in play in a structured learning environment.
• Have each student choose one of the 16 minerals from the set of mineral cards provided and research its characteristics and use.
• The following student laboratory kits available from Flinn Scientific may be used for more hands-on activities involving minerals—Be a Mineral Detective (Catalog No. AP5949), Common Uses of Rocks and Minerals (Catalog No. AP7052) and Formation and Identification of Minerals (Catalog No. AP7168).

Answers to Prelab Questions

1. Based on the five criteria listed in the Background section, is ice a mineral? Explain your reasoning.

   Ice may be considered a mineral since it satisfies all the criteria. However, H₂O is only a mineral in its solid form. Liquid water is not a mineral since all minerals must be solid and have a crystalline structure.

2. If classified according to chemical composition, into what group would fluorite, CaF₂, be placed?

   Fluorite belongs in the halide group since it includes the fluoride ion—a halogen anion—bonded with a metal cation.

3. The mineral serpentine is magnesium silicate hydroxide, Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄. Use the Background information to explain how this mineral should be classified.

   Serpentine belongs in the silicate group since the hydroxide ion is not considered in classifying minerals when it is part of a more complex compound.

Answers to Questions

1. A pearl is considered a gemstone and its composition includes calcium carbonate. Is a pearl a mineral?

   No, a pearl is made by a living organism. Note: Even though the pearl itself it not alive, its composition also includes a protein called conchiolin. Therefore, a pearl is organic.

2. Both hematite and magnetite are composed of the same two elements, iron and oxygen. Why are they considered different minerals?

   Hematite and magnetite have different chemical formulas. Although they have similar properties, the unique chemical formula of each mineral determines other characteristics such as the crystalline structure.

3. Fill in the following chart by writing the chemical name of each mineral and the group to which it belongs.
   {12834_Answers_Table_1}
4. The chemical formula of malachite is Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂. Given the respective charges of the carbonate and hydroxide anions in the Background section, determine the charge of the copper cation.

   The carbonate anion has a charge of –2 and the hydroxide anion has a charge of –1. With two hydroxide ions and one carbonate ion, the total negative charge is –4. Since the formula includes two copper cations, the copper cation must have a charge of +2.

5. What might be the value of classifying minerals by their metal cations? What difficulties might one encounter using this classification system?

   Minerals may be classified according to the metal cation since the metals are important in ores and industrial use. Many minerals have more than one metal cation, which could make placement difficult.

Teacher Handouts

12834_Teacher1.pdf

References

Rocks and Minerals; St. Martin’s Press: New York, 1973.

Introduction

Minerals can form beautiful gemstones or common salt crystals. What makes one mineral different from another? Play Mineral Rummy to learn about the chemical composition of common minerals.

Concepts

• Mineral classification
• Chemical composition
• Ionic compounds

Background

Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. Minerals range in composition from pure elements and simple salts to very complex compounds with various forms. To be considered a mineral the following five criteria must be met.

A mineral must

• Be a solid.
• Occur naturally.
• Be inorganic (never alive).
• Have its atoms arranged in an orderly (crystalline) pattern
• Have a definite chemical composition.

More than 4,000 different minerals exist on Earth! Classifying these minerals helps geologists study them in a systematic way. One way to classify minerals is by their chemical composition. The minerals composed of pure elements are called native element minerals and are divided into native metals (e.g., copper and silver) and native nonmetals (e.g., sulfur). Most minerals, however, are compounds and may be classified by the anion (atom with a negative charge) in the compound. Some ions are single atoms and some are polyatomic ions—a charged group of two or more atoms covalently bonded. A polyatomic ion often found in minerals is the hydroxide ion, [OH]^–. Magnesium hydroxide (Mg[OH]₂, known as brucite) is classified as a hydroxide mineral; however, the hydroxide ion may also be found in other mineral groups because it can form more complex mineral compounds. For example, malachite (copper carbonate hydroxide) is classified as a carbonate even though its chemical composition includes the hydroxide ion—Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂.

The seven mineral groups included in the Mineral Rummy game are listed.

• Halides: Halides are salts that have a halogen anion—fluoride, chloride, bromide or iodide—bonded with a metal cation (positively charged atom). An example is halite (sodium chloride, NaCl)—common table salt.
• Oxides: These minerals are compounds of oxygen and a metal or metalloid. Corundum (aluminum oxide, Al₂O₃) is a common oxide used as an abrasive. Gemstone varieties of corundum include rubies and sapphires. Quartz—silicon dioxide—may be considered an oxide, but is usually classified as a silicate because of its chemical structure (see Silicates). 
• Sulfides: All sulfide mineral compounds include the element sulfur as the sulfide anion. One abundant sulfide is galena (lead sulfide, PbS), the chief ore of lead. 
• Carbonates: The carbonate polyatomic ion, [CO₃]^2–, combines with metal cations in this group of minerals. Identification of carbonates may include an acid test. If a dilute hydrochloric acid solution (HCl) is dripped onto a carbonate, a reaction takes place producing water and carbon dioxide gas, often with effervescence.
• Phosphates: This mineral group, composed of the phosphate polyatomic ion, [PO₄]^3–, includes minerals used in fertilizer as well as the beautiful turquoise gemstone (copper aluminum phosphate hydroxide). 
• Silicates: These compounds of silicon and oxygen are the most abundant group of minerals. Silicates are complex, and the ratio of silicon atoms to oxygen atoms may vary. The tetrahedral shape of the silicate polyatomic ion, [SiO₄]^4–, is the basic chemical structure of all silicates. Quartz (SiO₂) is usually included with the silicates since it is composed of silicon and oxygen and has a tetrahedral structure. 
• Sulfates: The polyatomic sulfate ion, [SO₄]^2–, is the basis of this group of minerals. The most common sulfate is gypsum (calcium sulfate). One of gypsum’s primary uses is in the manufacture of sheetrock, also called drywall or wallboard. The walls in homes, offices and schools are usually at least partly constructed using gypsum board.

Experiment Overview

The purpose of this activity is to play a Mineral Rummy card game. Each player will collect ion cards that can be used to form specific minerals—see the Directions for Play PDF. The first player to use all of his or her cards to form minerals is the winner of Mineral Rummy!

Materials

Prelab Questions

1. Based on the five criteria listed in the Background section, is ice a mineral? Explain your reasoning.
2. If classified according to the anion present, into what group would fluorite, CaF₂, be placed?
3. The mineral serpentine is magnesium silicate hydroxide, Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄. Use the Background information to explain how this mineral should be classified.

Procedure

1. Before playing Mineral Rummy, answer the Prelab Questions.
2. Play one practice game as you read through all Mineral Rummy Directions for Play.
3. Complete the Mineral Rummy Worksheet after playing the game.

Student Worksheet PDF

12834_Student1.pdf