Video Transcript
Which of the following is not a
native-element mineral? (A) Magnetite, (B) gold, (C)
diamond, (D) copper, (E) sulfur.
To answer this question, we need to
know what is meant by a native-element mineral. Minerals assigned to this group are
composed of a single chemical element. Gold, copper, and sulfur are pure
elements that are not bonded to any other elements. So these are native-element
minerals.
The question asks which of the
answer choices is not a native-element mineral. So we can eliminate answer choices
(B), (D), and (E). Diamond is composed of the element
carbon. As diamond is composed of a single
chemical element, it is a native-element mineral. So it is not the answer to the
question. The chemical formula of magnetite
is Fe3O4. Magnetite is composed of the
elements iron and oxygen. As it contains more than one
chemical element, magnetite is not a native-element mineral.
Therefore, the answer choice that
is not a native-element mineral is answer choice (A), magnetite.
