Science glossary · New Zealand
Mineral
A solid substance found in nature that was never alive and has a definite chemical makeup.
Rocks are made of one or more minerals. Minerals are identified by properties such as colour, hardness and shine.
Example: Quartz and mica are minerals found in granite.
Lessons, worksheets, practice and tools on this: Rocks, soil and water.
Related words
- Water cycle: The way water moves between the land, the oceans and the air, over and over.
- Erosion: When wind, water or ice carry away bits of rock and soil.
- Weathering: The slow breaking down of rock into smaller pieces by wind, water, ice or plants.
- Fossil: The preserved remains or traces of a living thing from long ago.