What Is the Difference Between Rocks and Minerals?

Here are the characteristics and traits of minerals and rocks that differentiate them from each other.

Minerals

Minerals are the chemical substances that are solid and inorganic. They exist naturally. Minerals are known to be homogenous which means that they have a very definite and defined chemical structure. Variations in the chemical structure are very narrow. There are numerous types of minerals found on Earth, over five thousand to be more specific. Minerals also have some nutritional value. They are known to help in bone formation and muscle contractions. Minerals can be distinguished from each other with the help of analyzing their physical properties, chemical compositions, and crystal structure. To study them in a better way, minerals have been divided into some major groups. These groups are mostly based on their chemical structure. Some of these groups are sulfides, oxides, carbonates, halides, nitrates, tungstates, phosphates, and chromates. The study of minerals is known as mineralogy.

Rocks

Rocks are also naturally occurring substances. However, they are not homogenous which means that they do not have a specific chemical composition. A rock can be a mixture of many mineral or mineraloid substances. They have organic matter such as fossils. There are many different ways to classify rocks. They are differentiated by their chemical structure, mineral composition, way of formation, or texture. There are three groups of rocks; sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. An interesting fact about rocks is that they can be transformed into another type over time. This is because the chemical and physical characteristics of the rocks can change due to the environment. Unlike minerals, rocks do not have any nutritional benefits neither do they have a specific shape. The study of rocks is called petrology.