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tmahfan117 t1_j9kmhoy wrote

No, minerals are “a solid, inorganic substance of natural occurrence” so a lot of solids are minerals yes, but not all solids.

Any solids that are organic, like wood, are not minerals.

And any solids that are naturally occurring, like Steel or Bronze, are not minerals.

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JensAypa t1_j9knm2p wrote

Wikipedia : "a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form".

So artificial solids (plastic, steel...), or solids coming from living organisms (wood, coal), are - most of the time - not minerals. And rocks are generally a bunch of different minerals stuck together.

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ScienceIsSexy420 t1_j9ko2x7 wrote

There can be different contaminats in the same mineral, but generally the chemical composition of a mineral is going to be the same in every version of that mineral. If it differs, it's a different mineral.

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breckenridgeback t1_j9kovqp wrote

To a point. Some minerals form a series where, for example, you might replace aluminum with magnesium or whatever. But a mineral by definition has to have a specific composition or range of compositions. That's what distinguishes it from a rock (which is a collection of [possibly many different] minerals).

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Stebanoid t1_j9kpzuq wrote

In geology, mineral must also have crystalline structure. So, obsidian is a natural inorganic rock, but not a mineral, because it's a glass, not a crystal or a bunch of crystals.

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spicyestmemelord t1_j9krs7z wrote

Comments aren’t loading so apologies if already answered.

Ice is solid water. Water is not a mineral.

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jonnyclueless t1_j9kt283 wrote

Seeing as all elements can be solid depending on their temperature that would have to mean every element would be a mineral, so I can't imagine it to be the case.

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ImpressiveShift3785 t1_j9kviha wrote

A kitchen table is not a mineral. Minerals also need homogenous elemental composition.

Some argue ice is a mineral.

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