Colgate Mineralogy

Native Elements

Native Elements:

one of a kind atoms
about 20 occur in nature - because rare to find atoms that don't react with others
Subgroups:
1. Native Metals
  - Common Features:
    - have d-orbital filled
    - cubic close-packed structures
    - similar habits - cubes and octahedrons
    - relatively soft & malleable - due to glide planes
    - good conductors - due to delocalized electrons
  - Subgroups:
    1. Au group: Au, Ag, Cu
    2. Pt group: Pt, Os, Ir, etc.
    3. Fe-group: Fe and Ni
2. Native Semi-Metals
  - Arsenic(As), Selenium(Se), Tellurium(Te), Antimony(Sb)
  - can act as either metal or nonmetal
  - not very abundant
  - used as semi-conductors & in electronics
3. Native Non-metals
  - carbon(C) (graphite, diamond & Buckminsterfullerene C₆₀), sulfur (S)
  - not close-packed structures
http://classes.colgate.edu/rapril/geol201/
Questions to: rapril@mail.colgate.edu
Copyright 1997 © Colgate University.

Mineralogy
Home page