What is mineral?

Mineral - must satisfy all 5 parts of definition to be a mineral. * Naturally occurring - occurs in nature (not synthetic) *Inorganic - not organic chemical (carbon-based compound, usually produced by organisms). *Solid - not liquid or gas *Definable chemical composition - contains elements bonded together in definite proportions (and can write mineral chemical formula), e.g., quartz SiO2, ratio of Si:O = 1:2* Crystal structure - Orderly arrangement of atoms. Glass has random arrangement of atoms (amorphous).