What is the Difference between Rock and Mineral
Rocks and minerals are the two terms, which are often used for the naturally occurring solid substances. Most of the physical structures, we see around us, are made up of rocks and minerals or a combination of both, as they are the basic building materials. Rocks and minerals are two different terms but are used interchangeably. Here, we are trying to differentiate them.
Rock
Rock is a simple aggregate of minerals, which are collected at a place naturally, without any specific composition. A rock may contain one mineral or there might be a collection of minerals. Formation of rocks is a long process and is completed over centuries. There are different types of rocks, depending on the mode of formation, like igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks. As rocks are aggregates of minerals, so there is no atomic structure or definite shape.
Mineral
Mineral is a solid substance, having definite chemical composition and atomic structure. They are formed by geological processes and every mineral has its own characteristics. A mineral can be one element like table salt or a combination of many elements is a specific composition. Study of minerals is a vast branch of geology, which is called as mineralogy. Minerals are used for different purposes and are considered as a wealth of a country.
Rock vs Mineral
Rocks are simple aggregates of minerals, without any chemical composition, whereas minerals have a particular chemical composition. A rock has no atomic structure, whereas a mineral has atomic structure, which helps in its identification. Minerals are usually crystalline in form, whereas rocks are not. A rock may contain organic contents, like remaining of ancient animals or fossils, but minerals has definite composition of one or many elements. Rocks are the parent bodies, which have aggregates of one or more than one minerals.
Related posts
- What is the Difference between Mahogany Beech Walnut Ash Pine Oak and Maple
- What is the Difference between Ice Age Ozone Depletion and Greenhouse Effect
- What is the Difference between Hematite Iron Galena Chalcopyrite Pyrite and Gold
- What is the Difference between Tornado Watch and Warning
- What is the Difference between Human Eye and Animal Eye
- What is the Difference between Lava and Magma
- What is the Difference between Summer, Winter, Autumn and Spring Seasons
- What is the Difference between Sleeting, Flurrying, Snowing and Hailing
- What is the Difference between Total Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse and Solar Eclipse
- What is the Difference between Climate and Weather