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Contents of 2.5 What is a mineral?

2.5 What is a mineral?

• In retrospect, thus far minerals have/are
• a fixed (within limits) chemical composition
• a distinguishing internal geometry of atoms
• even for minerals with the same bulk chemistry (e.g., calcite and aragonite)
• physical properties that relate to composition and internal structure
• Minerals (from physical and biological processes) compose rocks.