Properties of Minerals

Geologists have recently determined that the minerals goethite and hematite exist in abundance on Mars, sure signs of the presence of water (see Figure 1 for a picture). None of those geologists have been to Mars, of course, but the unmanned rovers Spirit and Opportunity have. These rovers are equipped with three mass spectrometers, each of which is capable of determining the chemical composition of a solid with a high degree of accuracy. With such a precise chemical analysis in hand, geologists on Earth had no problem identifying the minerals.

Figure 1: The small spheres in this picture were dubbed “berries” by geologists who first saw them. They sit on the surface of Mars and were photographed by the Mars rover Opportunity. A mass spectrometer on the rover was able to determine the chemical content of the berries and geologists recognized the chemical formula for hematite (Fe2O3). A mineral is defined in part by a specific chemical composition. In theory, therefore, it is always easy to identify a mineral, if you can determine the chemical composition with a mass spectrometer like the Mars rovers. In reality, however, even if you are looking at rocks on Earth, determining the exact chemical composition of a substance involves significant time preparing the sample and sophisticated laboratory equipment (and often significant money). Luckily, it is usually unnecessary to go to such lengths, because there are much easier ways that require little more than a magnifying lens and a penknife.