Searching for minerals

[Pertti]

HSC Geo has a searching tool, which access table “Minerals” in the HSCGeo.mdb database. You can search minerals quickly by their formula and by their name (for illustrated instructions see attached pdf file):

1. Open HSCGeo

2. Press “Minerals” button in the left pane

3. To search mineral by chemical composition select tab “By Chemistry” and click the elements in the periodic table. One click changes button to blue indicating that element is present in the formula of the mineral. Second click changes colour to red indicating that element may not be in the formula. Text window below the periodic table shows the condition. Minerals fulfilling the condition are presented then below.

4. Clicking on some of the minerals gives more information about mineral selected; chemical composition as number of atoms, in weight percentage and if mineral contain oxides then also as oxide percentages.

5. To search mineral by name select “By Name” tab and start writing the name of the mineral in the “Keyword” box. On each change query will be updated, shown in the text window below, and the database listing will show mineral fulfilling the criteria.