There are over 5,000 known types of minerals. Just a few minerals make up most of the rocks we see, though: feldspars, amphiboles, quartz, olivine, garnet, micas, calcite, and pyroxenes.

A compound is a substance that contains two or more elements close elementA pure substance that is made from only one type of atom. Elements are listed on the periodic table. Elements cannot be ...

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to ...

More than 4,000 naturally occurring minerals—inorganic solids that have a characteristic chemical composition and specific crystal structure—have been found on Earth. They are formed of simple ...

Despite seeming like a relatively stable place, the Earth's surface has changed dramatically over the past 4.6 billion years. Mountains have been built and eroded, continents and oceans have moved ...

There would be no bright and colorful fireworks without rocks and minerals. A firework is produced by launching a shell containing fuel and a color mix high into the air, where it explodes.

Despite seeming like a relatively stable place, the Earth's surface has changed dramatically over the past 4.6 billion years. Mountains have been built and eroded, continents and oceans have moved ...

Petrology is the study of rocks - igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary - and the processes that form and transform them. Mineralogy is the study of the chemistry, crystal structure and physical ...