Native element mineral facts for kids

A native element mineral or native metal is a special kind of element that you can find all by itself in nature. This means it's not mixed with other elements to form a compound or a rock. It's pure!

Most elements on Earth are found mixed together in compounds, like how oxygen and hydrogen combine to make water. But some elements are super unique because they can exist on their own as pure minerals. These are called native elements.

What are Native Elements?

Native elements are like the loners of the mineral world. They don't usually combine with other elements. Instead, they form crystals or chunks of just one type of atom. This makes them very special and often quite valuable.

Some of the most famous native elements are metals like gold, silver, and copper. But there are also non-metals like sulfur and carbon (which forms diamonds and graphite) that can be found in their native state.

Why are They Special?

Finding elements in their pure form is quite rare. Most elements are reactive, meaning they easily combine with others. For example, iron often rusts because it reacts with oxygen. But native elements are usually less reactive, which is why they can stay pure for millions of years.

These pure elements have been important to humans for a very long time.

• Gold and silver have been used for jewelry and coins because they are beautiful, don't tarnish easily, and are rare.
• Copper was one of the first metals used by humans because it could be found pure and was easy to shape.
• Diamonds, which are pure carbon, are known for being the hardest natural material and are used in jewelry and for cutting tools.

Where Can We Find Them?

Native elements are usually found in specific places:

• Gold is often found in riverbeds as tiny flakes or nuggets, or deep underground in veins within rocks.
• Copper can be found in large chunks in certain rock formations.
• Sulfur is often found near volcanoes because it forms from volcanic gases.
• Diamonds are found in special volcanic rocks called kimberlite pipes.

Scientists and miners look for these native elements because they are valuable and have many uses in our world, from making electronics to creating beautiful art.

Images for kids

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  Native copper

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  Native gold

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  Native silver

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  Native sulfur

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  Diamond (native carbon)

See also

In Spanish: Minerales elementos para niños