A mineral has an ordered atomic structure that belongs to one of six different crystal systems: isometric, hexagonal, orthorhombic, rhombohedral, tetragonal, monoclinic, triclinic.
Beryl Mineral Data General Beryl Information. Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: Be3Al2Si6O18. Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 537.50 gm ... webmineral.com/data/Beryl.shtml - Cached - Similar
A rock is composed of minerals, Minerals can either crystallize fractionally as magma slowly cools over long periods of time or quickly as lava is erupted and cools, and they can be produced and precipitated by organisms. Calcite, aragonite, both CaCO3 crystals (aragonite is triclinic, and can collapse into calcite, a more stable monoclinic crystal) and silica, SiO2 are precipitated by organisms. SiO2 is quartz. There are three types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. There are various degrees of metamorphism, but metamorphism is basically a process of subjecting a rock of any type to enough heat and pressure over a long period of time that minerals in those rocks, including water, undergo chemical reactions to form some new minerals with different physical properties like hardness. Limestone becomes marble when it is metamorphosed, sandstone becomes quartzite.
Sorry I don't have more sources, but you have Google available. I didn't when I was working on my bachelor's in geology.
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