0
Mining
Mining for coal is something that is widely known, but did you know that diamonds, uranium, copper, and other non-renewable natural resources are also mined? There are two types of mining; surface and subsurface. Questions about the methods and types of mining, what ores are mined, and related questions should be asked in this category.
4,677 Questions
What properties or tests are used to identify minerals?
Minerals possess a number of physical properties that aid in their identification. Some require simple observation to detect. Some require varying degrees of testing and comparison. Some of these mineral properties and tests are listed below with a brief description:
Color--The color of the specimen as it appears to the naked eye under normal lighting conditions. Some minerals such as gold will only appear as one color, but due to impurities and crystal light distortion, many minerals can appear in multiple colors.
Therefore, observable specimen color is the least effective property in identification.
Streak--The color of a mineral in powdered form. A streak test is performed by dragging a freshly cleaved mineral surface across an unglazed porcelain surface. If the mineral is less hard than the porcelain, it will leave a stripe of color (the mineral in a powdered state). This is the true color of a mineral specimen as it lessens the impurity impact and eliminates the light distortion from the crystal. Although a mineral may have multiple observable specimen colors, it will only have one streak color.
Luster--Refers to the absorption, reflection, or refraction of light by the surface of a mineral. Minerals possess various lusters that are somewhat self-explanatory such as dull, earthy, adamantine, metallic, glassy, metallic, silky, greasy, pearly, and resinous.
Fluorescence--Some minerals fluoresce in ultraviolet light, and some minerals specimens may appear to fluoresce due to fluorescent mineral impurities, or due to locality. This is not an extremely reliable indicator property but can be used in conjunction with other identification properties.
Chemical Composition--Minerals are chemicals, either elements or compounds found naturally in the Earth. Some minerals have a fixed chemical composition, and some minerals have a rigid set of chemical composition parameters that allow for the replacement of certain elements with other elements. Chemical properties can be tested with the use of a blowpipe, flame color, bead test, and laboratory solution tests.
Hardness--Minerals are identified roughly by their hardness based on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, a list of ten minerals from #1 (softest) to #10 (hardest). All minerals will fall somewhere along the scale, based on their ability to scratch any mineral with a number lower than theirs and their inability to scratch any mineral with a number higher than theirs.
Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness
- Talc
- Gypsum
- Calcite
- Fluorite
- Apatite
- Orthoclase
- Quartz
- Topaz
- Corundum
- Diamond
Specific Gravity--Is the relative weight of a mineral as compared to the weight of an equal volume of water. The specific gravity is also referred to as density and is expressed normally as an average of a small range of densities.
Some Common Minerals and Their Specific Gravity
- Halite (2.1)
- Gypsum (2.3)
- Quartz (2.7)
- Talc (2.8)
- Muscovite Mica (2.8)
- Corundum (4.0)
- Cinnabar (8.0)
- Gold (19.3)
Crystal Form--A mineral's crystals form into one of six mineral crystal systems: cubic, tetragonal, hexagonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, or triclinic. The crystal form reflects the structure of the molecules and formation environment of the mineral. Although sometimes difficult, identification of a mineral's crystal form is an invaluable aid to mineral identification along with the other mineral properties.
Optical Properties--Used mainly by scientists, polarised light is sent through thin slices of mineral, producing identifying patterns of light which measure their index of refraction which is distinct for each mineral.
Cleavage--The way some minerals split along planes which are related to their mineral structure, parallel to any crystal faces. Cleavage is measured in degrees of perfection from poor, to fair, good, perfect, and eminent, and are described by the number and direction of cleavage planes. Some minerals do not show cleavage, but fracture in a way other than along any cleavage plane.
Magnetism--Certain minerals exhibit magnetism or an attraction to a magnet, and some will display this property only when heated.
Electrical Properties--Some minerals when heated or rubbed will develop an electrical charge. Others will be able to control radio frequencies.
Melting Point--A pure mineral will posses a melting point which can be tested with a high temperature flame until it fuses at the edges.
How does cyanide affect the environment during mining?
Cyanides (NaCN or KCN) are not used in uranium mining and recovery, but it is used in gold mining.
Why do you need to quarry iron ore?
we need to quarry it because we need iron to make things like condoms
Because it it pretty, it is malleable (can easily make things out of it), and it never rusts or corrodes. Thus, for centuries, it has been a symbol of wealth.
What do you get when you drop a piano down a mine shaft?
If you drop a grand piano down a mine shaft you would get a flat minor.
When do the Galena Days start in Galena Kansas?
During the depression working women were what?
With the high unemployment of the depression, many women who were working lost their jobs. Employment schemes were generally aimed at keeping men working, so many women remained unemployed.
How much iron ore is mined in the U.S?
The U.S. produced about $1.21 billion worth of usable iron ore in 2001, down from the $1.56 billion shipped in 2000.
Start by deciding what you want to give up. You are likely sitting in a building, reading this on a computer. The building was built with metals (from mining). Your computer was built with minerals and metals (from mining) The electricity for your computer is carried on wires (from mining)- and was probably generated by a power plant that uses oil, gas, coal, or uranium (from mining). Plan on being hungry- the truck (metal from mining) that carried your food to the store drove on a road that was paved using crushed stone (from mining). If it was not grown by someone, then it was dug out of the ground- by mining. The period of time before mining was the Stone Age. Ready to go find a cave where you can huddle by the fire on a cold night? Remember that when the sabre toothed tiger shows up, your only weapon is a pointy stick- since metals and stones come from........ mining.
How did women generally make money in mining communities?
by running inn's where the miners could stay and eat and other stuff like that almost like todays inn's.
Limestone is often sedimentary, formed of calcite in the form of shells and coral. So it's found where there used to be an ocean.
Galena is lead sulfide, an important source of the metal lead. Storage batteries, like the one in your car, have lead plate and posts- so it is likely that part of your battery was MADE from galena.
Which African country has the richest and most varied deposits of minerals in the world?
Egypt is the richest country in Africa, but not just Africa, it is the richest in the whole wide world.
a mining engineer dose all the mechines in the mines to get them back up and running
