This worksheet helps students distinguish between minerals and non-minerals by analyzing everyday items.

Problem Overview:

The task involves determining whether each item listed is a mineral based on the definition of a mineral. The worksheet also asks for an explanation if an item is not a mineral and requires identifying how many minerals have been identified.

Definition of a Mineral:

A mineral is defined as:
1. Naturally occurring.
2. Inorganic (not produced by biological processes).
3. Solid at room temperature.
4. Crystalline structure (has a definite internal arrangement of atoms).
5. Definite chemical composition (within specific limits).

Solution:

#### Step 1: Analyze Each Item
We will evaluate each item based on the mineral definition.

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#### 1. Coal
- Before you learn: Likely "No" because coal is organic (formed from decomposed plant material).
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Coal is organic, which violates the inorganic requirement of the mineral definition.

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#### 2. Ice cubes
- Before you learn: Likely "Yes" because ice is solid and crystalline.
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Ice is a form of water (H₂O), which does not have a definite chemical composition or crystalline structure in its natural state (e.g., snowflakes are not minerals).

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#### 3. Diamonds
- Before you learn: Likely "Yes" because diamonds are well-known as minerals.
- After you learn: Yes, it is a mineral.
- Reason: Diamonds are naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, have a crystalline structure, and have a definite chemical composition (pure carbon, C).

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#### 4. Gold
- Before you learn: Likely "Yes" because gold is a well-known mineral.
- After you learn: Yes, it is a mineral.
- Reason: Gold is naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, has a crystalline structure, and has a definite chemical composition (Au).

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#### 5. Tree
- Before you learn: Likely "No" because trees are organic.
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Trees are organic, which violates the inorganic requirement of the mineral definition.

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#### 6. Banana
- Before you learn: Likely "No" because bananas are organic.
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Bananas are organic, which violates the inorganic requirement of the mineral definition.

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#### 7. Pearl
- Before you learn: Likely "No" because pearls are formed by living organisms.
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Pearls are biogenic (formed by mollusks) and do not meet the inorganic requirement of the mineral definition.

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#### 8. Icicle
- Before you learn: Likely "No" because icicles are formed from water.
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Icicles are made of frozen water (H₂O), which does not have a definite chemical composition or crystalline structure in its natural state.

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#### 9. Synthetic Diamond
- Before you learn: Likely "No" because synthetic diamonds are man-made.
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Synthetic diamonds are not naturally occurring, which violates the natural occurrence requirement of the mineral definition.

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#### 10. Quartz
- Before you learn: Likely "Yes" because quartz is a well-known mineral.
- After you learn: Yes, it is a mineral.
- Reason: Quartz is naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, has a crystalline structure, and has a definite chemical composition (SiO₂).

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#### 11. Amber
- Before you learn: Likely "No" because amber is fossilized tree resin.
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Amber is organic (fossilized tree resin), which violates the inorganic requirement of the mineral definition.

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#### 12. Salt
- Before you learn: Likely "Yes" because salt is a common substance.
- After you learn: Yes, it is a mineral.
- Reason: Salt (halite) is naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, has a crystalline structure, and has a definite chemical composition (NaCl).

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#### 13. Liquid water
- Before you learn: Likely "No" because liquid water is not solid.
- After you learn: No, it is not a mineral.
- Reason: Liquid water is not solid, which violates the solid requirement of the mineral definition.

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#### Step 2: Fill in the Worksheet
Based on the analysis above, the completed worksheet would look like this:

| Item | Before you learn: Do you think it's a mineral? Write YES or NO. | After you learn: Is it a mineral? Write Yes or No. | If it is NOT a mineral, which part of the definition does it not satisfy? |
|--------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Coal | No | No | Organic (violates inorganic requirement) |
| Ice cubes | Yes | No | Not naturally occurring with a definite crystalline structure |
| Diamonds | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Gold | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Tree | No | No | Organic (violates inorganic requirement) |
| Banana | No | No | Organic (violates inorganic requirement) |
| Pearl | No | No | Biogenic (violates inorganic requirement) |
| Icicle | No | No | Not naturally occurring with a definite crystalline structure |
| Synthetic Diamond | No | No | Not naturally occurring |
| Quartz | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Amber | No | No | Organic (violates inorganic requirement) |
| Salt | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Liquid water | No | No | Not solid |

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#### Step 3: Answer Additional Questions
1. What is the definition of a mineral?
- A mineral is naturally occurring, inorganic, solid at room temperature, has a crystalline structure, and has a definite chemical composition.

2. Approximately how many minerals have been identified?
- As of now, approximately 5,000 minerals have been identified.

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Final Answer:

\boxed{
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
\text{Item} & \text{Before you learn} & \text{After you learn} & \text{If not a mineral, reason} \\
\hline
\text{Coal} & \text{No} & \text{No} & \text{Organic} \\
\text{Ice cubes} & \text{Yes} & \text{No} & \text{Not naturally occurring with a definite crystalline structure} \\
\text{Diamonds} & \text{Yes} & \text{Yes} & \text{N/A} \\
\text{Gold} & \text{Yes} & \text{Yes} & \text{N/A} \\
\text{Tree} & \text{No} & \text{No} & \text{Organic} \\
\text{Banana} & \text{No} & \text{No} & \text{Organic} \\
\text{Pearl} & \text{No} & \text{No} & \text{Biogenic} \\
\text{Icicle} & \text{No} & \text{No} & \text{Not naturally occurring with a definite crystalline structure} \\
\text{Synthetic Diamond} & \text{No} & \text{No} & \text{Not naturally occurring} \\
\text{Quartz} & \text{Yes} & \text{Yes} & \text{N/A} \\
\text{Amber} & \text{No} & \text{No} & \text{Organic} \\
\text{Salt} & \text{Yes} & \text{Yes} & \text{N/A} \\
\text{Liquid water} & \text{No} & \text{No} & \text{Not solid} \\
\hline
\end{array}
}
\boxed{\text{Definition of a mineral: Naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, crystalline, definite chemical composition. Approximately 5,000 minerals have been identified.}}