Classification of non-silicate minerals

Okay, kiddo! So, minerals are like different rocks and stones that make up the Earth, and there are two main types: silicate and non-silicate minerals. Silicate minerals are harder to explain, but non-silicate minerals are a bit easier.

Non-silicate minerals are basically all the other types of minerals that aren't made of silicon and oxygen (which is what makes up silicate minerals). But, just like how we sort things into categories at school or at home, scientists also like to classify different non-silicate minerals based on what they're made of.

So, let's imagine you have a bunch of different toys. You might sort them into groups based on what they're made of, right? For example, you might have a group of toys made of plastic and another group made of wood. Scientists do the same thing with non-silicate minerals.

One way they sort them is by what elements they're made of. Elements are like building blocks for everything in the world. Just like how you can make a bunch of different things with building blocks, scientists can make different minerals with different elements. Some common elements found in non-silicate minerals include copper, zinc, aluminum, and sulfur.

Another way scientists sort non-silicate minerals is by how they look under a microscope. They might look at things like the color, shape, or texture of the mineral to determine what group it belongs to. Just like how you can tell a toy car from a toy plane based on how they look, scientists can tell different minerals apart based on how they look.

So there you have it, kiddo! Non-silicate minerals are all the types of minerals that aren't made of silicon and oxygen, and scientists like to sort them into groups based on what elements they're made of or how they look under a microscope.