Re: Mineral Definition

"Bob" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I am stumbling to find a true definition of a mineral, to help me
> figure out if the following are indeed considered minerals:  A bone -
> A shell from a crustacean, Petrifed wood, a fossil, and Coal.  Can
> anyone help out there - thanks - Bob

All those items are mineral (adjective) but they are not minerals
(noun).  Minerals are pure chemical compounds (and elements)
from which rocks are composed. Rocks are also mineral, but not
minerals unless they are pure.  See;
http://webmineral.com/Mineral_Definition.shtml

The first definition has a typing error. It should read "A mineral is
an element OR chemical compound ..."

HTH,

Cheers,  Alastair.