How are rocks and minerals similar and different?

Minerals have five major requirements: they must be solid, inorganic (not living or once living), have a definite chemical composition, be naturally occurring, and have a repeating crystal structure. An object must fit all of these requirements to be considered a mineral. read more

Minerals are generally lighter in weight and color than rocks and hold value for their aesthetic properties. Rocks, in contrast, are denser, darker and hardier and find use in the industrial and construction industries. read more

Rocks don't have a definite chemical composition or a repeating crystal structure since they can be made of many different minerals (think about granite). Rocks are basically made of minerals (and possibly organic materials) while minerals are more 'pure' in their makeup and composition. read more

Two rock masses may have very much the same bulk composition and yet consist of entirely different assemblages of minerals. Composition of minerals varies from one mineral to another. Some may have a high content of carbonate while others may have a high content of oxides. read more