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What is Mineral Water?
Mineral water is something entirely different. Here the word “mineral” is used in reference to dissolved solids that occur in the water as it is taken from a natural source such as a spring. These dissolved substances occur in the water because while the water was in the ground it came into contact with mineral…
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Some Consider Water to be a Mineraloid
Water is not a mineral; however, it freezes into ice, which is a mineral. Some authors believe that water should be considered to be a “mineraloid,” a material that meets some of the requirements of being a mineral but falls short. Others disagree because they believe that a mineraloid only fails to meet the requirements…
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Is Ice a Mineral?
If we compare the properties of ice to the five requirements of the mineral definition, we find that it clearly meets the last four. However, requirement #1 presents a problem. A natural snowflake would be considered to be a mineral because it forms naturally in Earth’s atmosphere. However, an ice cube made in a refrigerator…
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Is Water a Mineral?
If we compare the properties of water to the five requirements of the mineral definition, we find that it fails to qualify as a mineral. Water is a liquid, so it does not meet requirement #3 – being a solid. However, at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius, water becomes the solid…
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What is a Mineral?
The word “mineral” is used by geologists for a group of naturally occurring crystalline substances. Gold, pyrite, quartz, calcite, and fluorite are all examples of “minerals.” To be a mineral a substance must meet five requirements: