Use of Rocks, Minerals, and Fossils in Everyday Life

Use of Rocks

Rocks are used all around us in many different ways. In home, office and in school we

use rocks everyday. In school we use rocks for writing such as pencil, chalk and

blackboard. In home we use rock to decorate gardens in counter top for kitchens and in

office we use for making shelves and other materials. We use rocks in every day to make

certain things.

Buildings

• Rocks are used to build houses.

• Many rocks are used to make buildings. Concrete, steel, glass and wallboard are

all common in modern buildings.

• Granite is used to decorate the outsides of buildings as well as tiles for floors and

counters.

• Marble is used for interior walls and floors because it is soft.

• Rocks are used to decorate gardens

Roads & Bridges

 • A lot of crushed stone and concrete is used in the building of roads, highways,

tunnels, bridges, airports and parking lots.

Decorations

• Many sculptures are made of stone such as marble, soapstone and jade. Many

rocks and minerals are beautiful and therefore decorative items are made from

them. People have been making arts & crafts using rocks & minerals for as

long as people have been using tools. Some rock & mineral collectors display

their specimens like others display fine art. Many rocks and minerals are

suitable for use as decorations.1

Jewellery Picture # 2 When most people hear about diamonds,

they think of jewellery even though most

diamonds are used in industry to cut and

polish softer rocks. People have been

making jewellery for thousands of years.

Precious metals like gold and silver are the

most popular minerals used. Precious and

semi-precious stones are used because of

their beauty.2

• Granite and sandstone are used in fireplaces, walkways, as parts of fences, and for

landscape purposes. Shale has been used as a material in patios and walkways.
 • Marble is used in many decorative ways in homes and other buildings.

• A very common rock found in Utah is coal. Coal is often used to heat homes and

to generate electricity.

What are the uses of fossils?

Fossils provide information about the history of life on earth. By studying the fossil

record, or the data recorded in fossils found over the world, scientists trace important

information. Some of the uses of fossils are:

o They help us find out the progressive changes within an animal or plant

group. Thus, the evolution of that group can be studied. For example, a

fossil called Archaeopteryx, which showed certain characteristics of both

reptiles and birds, was a transitional form between birds and reptiles.

With the help of this fossil, scientists determined that birds evolved from

reptiles.

o Through fossils, one can quickly and easily find out the age of the

geological strata or the rock layers in which they occur. The accuracy

with which this may be done depends on the nature and abundance of the

fossils in that stratum. Thus fossils can be used to identify geologic

relationships.

o Fossils may provide information about the climate and environment of the

site where they were deposited and at the time of their preservation.
 o Fossils are useful in the exploration for minerals and mineral fuels.

Geologists can find out the presence of oil and natural gas deposits at a

place by analysing the microfossil samples obtained from these locations.3

Uses of Minerals

Minerals are a part of everyday life. We use minerals and metals to make homes

and schools, to generate heat and power, and for everyday comfort items like shampoo

and toothpaste. Minerals keep us healthy. We need calcium, iron, magnesium,

phosphorus and many more minerals to grow and stay healthy. There are minerals in

paint and cosmetics, and we use to make jewellery. Minerals also used to help keep our

environment clean by improving our cars, and filtering the air we breathe and the water

we drink.

Aluminum

Aluminum is the most abundant metal element in Earth's crust. Used in making cans and

other containers, in the manufacture of lightweight parts for automobiles and airplanes, in

building construction and in almost every modern appliance found in the home. It is also

the active ingredient in many underarm deodorants.

Antimony

Antimony is a native element and the metal is extracted from Stibnite and other minerals.

It is used as a hardening alloy for lead, especially in the manufacture of storage batteries.
Bauxite

Bauxite is the mineral ore of aluminum which is used in the manufacture of cans,

airplanes, sporting and electronic equipment and home appliances.

Barium

Barium is used as a heavy additive in oil well drilling mud; in the paper and rubber

industries, as a filler or extender in cloth, ink and plastics products.

Beryllium

Beryllium is used in the nuclear industry and in the manufacture of light, very strong

alloys used in the aircraft industry. Beryllium salts are used in fluorescent lamps, in X-ray

tubes and as a deoxidizer in bronze metallurgy.

Coal

Coal is primarily used in the generation of electricity. Coal is also a source of raw

material for making heating oils, chemicals and medicines.

Cobalt

Cobalt is used in making super alloys for jet engines, chemicals (paint dryers, catalysts,

and magnetic coatings), permanent magnets, and cemented carbides for cutting tools.

Feldspar

Feldspar is a rock-forming mineral. It is important industrially in making glass, ceramics,

enamelware and soaps.

Fluorite

Fluorite is used in the production of hydrofluoric acid and the source of the "fluoride" in
your favourite toothpaste. It is used in the pottery, ceramics, optical, electroplating and

plastics industries; in the metallurgical treatment of bauxite to make aluminum; as a flux

to remove impurities in open hearth steel furnaces and in metal smelting; in carbon

electrodes; emery wheels; electric arc welders; and as paint pigment.

Gold

Gold is used in dentistry and medicine; in jewellery and art; in medallions and coins.

Halite (Salt)

Commonly recognized as salt, halite is used in human and animal diet, food seasoning

and food preservation.

Limestone

Limestone is used as dimension stone in buildings and as a component of cement which

is used in the construction of everything from homes and sidewalks to bridges and

skyscrapers.

Lithium

Lithium compounds are used in ceramics and glass; in primary aluminum production; in

the manufacture of lubricants and greases; rocket propellants; vitamin A synthesis; silver

solder; batteries; medicine.

Magnetite

An ore of iron which is used in making steel, nails, kitchen appliances, furniture, tools,

bridges, buildings, automobiles, construction equipment, manufacturing machinery,

highway construction, shipbuilding, trains, railroads etc.

Marble

Used as dimension stone in building construction and for making decorative items such

as pillars, floor and bath tiles, table tops etc.

Silver

Without silver, you could not take a single picture with your camera. Besides its use in

photography, silver is also used in chemistry, jewellery. It is also used as a catalyst in the

manufacture of ethylene, in making mirrors, as plating for flatware, dishes and tea sets,

and in dental, medical and scientific equipment.

Zinc

"Copper" pennies are actually mostly zinc. One of the primary uses of zinc is as a

protective coating on steel used to manufacture things such as automobile frames and

bumpers to prevent corrosion and oxidation. 4

Picture #1 http://www.winsladedesign.com/images/landscaping_rock_garden_t.jpg

Picture # 2 http://www.browse-a-while.com/jewellery_necklace_rocks_gold_1.jpg
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www.uen.org
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www.uen.org
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www.cartage.org.lb
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www.rocksandminerals.com