chemistry

Native element mineral

Native element mineral is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Native element mineral rather than just read about it. In short: Native element minerals are those elements that occur in nature in uncombined form with a distinct mineral structure. The elemental class includes metals, intermetallic compounds, alloys, metalloids, and nonmetals.

Key takeaways

Native element mineral belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Native element mineral to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Native element mineral from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Native element minerals are those elements that occur in nature in uncombined form with a distinct mineral structure. The elemental class includes metals, intermetallic compounds, alloys, metalloids, and nonmetals. The Nickel–Strunz classification system also includes the naturally occurring phosphides, silicides, nitrides, carbides, and arsenides.

Elements The following elements occur as native element minerals or alloys:

Nickel–Strunz Classification -01- Native elements This list uses the Classification of Nickel–Strunz (mindat.org, 10 ed, pending publication).

Abbreviations

"*" – discredited (IMA/CNMNC status). "?" – questionable/doubtful (IMA/CNMNC status). "REE" – Rare-earth element (Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) "PGE" – Platinum-group element (Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt) 03.C Aluminofluorides, 06 Borates, 08 Vanadates (04.H V[5,6] Vanadates), 09 Silicates: Neso: insular (from Greek νησος nēsos, island) Soro: grouping (from Greek σωροῦ sōros, heap, mound (especially of corn)) Cyclo: ring Ino: chain (from Greek ις [genitive: ινος inos], fibre) Phyllo: sheet (from Greek φύλλον phyllon, leaf) Tecto: three-dimensional framework Nickel–Strunz code scheme NN.XY.##x: NN: Nickel–Strunz mineral class number X: Nickel–Strunz mineral division letter Y: Nickel–Strunz mineral family letter ##x: Nickel–Strunz mineral/group number, x add-on letter

Class: native elements 01.A Metals and intermetallic alloys 01.AA Copper-cupalite family: 05 native copper, 05 lead, 05 native gold, 05 native silver, 05 nickel, 05 aluminium; 10a auricupride, 10b tetra-auricupride; 15 novodneprite, 15 khatyrkite, 15 anyuiite; 20 cupalite, 25 hunchunite 01.AB Zinc-brass family (Cu-Zn alloys): 05 cadmium, 05 zinc, 05 titanium*, 05 rhenium*; 10a brass*, 10a zhanghengite, 10b danbaite, 10b tongxinite* 01.AC Indium-tin family: 05 indium, 10 tin; 15 yuanjiangite, 15 sorosite 01.AD Mercury-amalgam family: 00 amalgam*, 05 mercury; 10 belendorffite, 10 kolymite; 15a paraschachnerite, 15a schachnerite, 15b luanheite, 15c eugenite, 15d moschellandsbergite; 20a weishanite, 20b goldamalgam*; 25 potarite, 30 leadamalgam 01.AE Iron-chromium family: 05 kamacite? (iron var.), 05 iron, 05 chromium; 10 antitaenite*, 10 taenite, 10 tetrataenite; 15 chromferide, 15 wairauite, 15 ferchromide; 20 awaruite, 25 jedwabite 01.AF Platinum-group elements: 05 osmium, 05 rutheniridosmine, 05 ruthenium; 10 palladium, 10 iridium, 10 rhodium, 10 platinum 01.AG PGE-metal alloys: 05 garutiite, 05 hexaferrum; 10 atokite, 10 zvyagintsevite, 10 rustenburgite; 15 taimyrite, 15 tatyanaite; 20 paolovite; 25 plumbopalladinite, 25 stannopalladinite; 30 cabriite; 35 chengdeite, 35 isoferroplatinum; 40 ferronickelplatinum, 40 tetraferroplatinum, 40 tulameenite; 45 hongshiite*, 45 skaergaardite; 50 yixunite, 55 damiaoite, 60 niggliite, 65 bortnikovite, 70 nielsenite 01.B Metallic carbides, silicides, nitrides and phosphides 01.BA Carbides: 05 cohenite; 10 isovite, 10 haxonite; 15 tongbaite; 20 khamrabaevite, 20 niobocarbide, 20 tantalcarbide; 25 qusongite, 30 yarlongite 01.BB Silicides: zangboite; 05 mavlyanovite, 05 suessite; 10 perryite, 15 fersilicite*, 20 ferdisilicite*, 25 luobusaite, 30 gupeiite, 35 hapkeite, 40 xifengite 01.BC Nitrides: 05 roaldite, 10 siderazot, 15 carlsbergite, 15 osbornite 01.BD Phosphides: 05 schreibersite, 05 nickelphosphide; 10 barringerite, 10 monipite; 15 allabogdanite, 15 florenskyite, 15 andreyivanovite; 20 melliniite 01.C Metalloids and nonmetals 01.CA Arsenic group elements: 05 bismuth, 05 native antimony, 05 arsenic, 05 stibarsen; 10 arsenolamprite, 10 pararsenolamprite; 15 paradocrasite 01.CB Carbon-silicon family: 05a graphite, 05b chaoite, 05c fullerite; 10a diamond, 10b lonsdaleite, 15 silicon 01.CC Sulfur-selenium-iodine: 05 sulfur, 05 rosickyite; 10 tellurium, 10 selenium 01.D Nonmetallic carbides and nitrides 01.DA Nonmetallic carbides: 05 moissanite 01.DB Nonmetallic nitrides: 05 nierite, 10 sinoite 01.X Unclassified Strunz elements (metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides) 01.XX Unknown: 00 hexamolybdenum, 00 tantalum*, 00 brownleeite

See also Free element Gangue Native metal Native state

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Native element mineral

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Native element mineral claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Native element mineral before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Native element mineral ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Native element mineral

In research: Native element mineral appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Native element mineral in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Native element mineral is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Classification of minerals, Native element minerals, Sets of chemical elements, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Native element mineral outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Native element mineral in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Native element mineral means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Native element mineral out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Native element mineral in simple terms?

Why does Native element mineral matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Native element mineral?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Native element mineral.