Definition: Clay minerals are the characteristic minerals of the earths near surface environments. They form in soils and sediments, and by diagenetic and hydrothermal alteration of rocks. Water is essential for clay mineral formation and most clay minerals are described as hydrous alumino silicates.

Clay is an important part of soil because it contains nutrients that are essential to plant growth. Another way to use clay is through sculpting. One property of clay is plasticity. This means that you can stretch out the clay without it breaking or tearing.

Clay minerals all have a great affinity for water. Some swell easily and may double in thickness when wet. Most have the ability to soak up ions (electrically charged atoms and molecules) from a solution and release the ions later when conditions change. Water molecules are strongly attracted to clay mineral surfaces.

Clays have a large specific surface, often predominantly negatively charged, that retains nutrients against leaching and reacts with hydrogen and aluminium ions, while buffering the soil against extreme pH changes. The clay itself may be a source of plant nutrients when it degrades.

Clay minerals are composed essentially of silica, alumina or magnesia or both, and water, but iron substitutes for aluminum and magnesium in varying degrees, and appreciable quantities of potassium, sodium, and calcium are frequently present as well.

Pyrophyllite is a dioctahedral clay mineral containing Al3 + in octahedral positions while talc is a trioctahedral clay mineral with mainly Mg2 + in octahedral sheets.

The small size of the particles and their unique crystal structures give clay materials special properties, including cation exchange capabilities, plastic behavior when wet, catalytic abilities, swelling behavior, and low permeabilities. Cation exchange affects the mechanical and physical properties of the clay.

Chlorite is a common phyllosilicate mineral found in all kinds of sediments and sedimentary rocks. In sediments, much chlorite falls by definition into the category of minerals known as “clay minerals” (see Clay Mineralogy).

Clay is a sedimentary rock made of tiny particles which come from the weathering of other rocks and minerals. The particles can be transported by rivers or ice and then deposited. Clay collapses easily when wet (slumping) and forms gentle landscapes, which are frequently waterlogged.

The four types of clay are Earthenware clay, Stoneware clay, Ball clay, and Porcelain.

What are the characteristics of clay?

• Plasticity – sticky, the ability to form and retain the shape by an outside force, has a unique “crystal” structure of the molecules, plate like, flat, 2 dimensional, water affects it.
• Particle size – very tiny – less than 2 microns, 1 millionth of a meter. (

Clay is a soft, loose, earthy material containing particles with a grain size of less than 4 micrometres (μm). It forms as a result of the weathering and erosion of rocks containing the mineral group feldspar (known as the ‘mother of clay’) over vast spans of time.

Ceramic clays are classified into five classes; earthenware clays, stoneware clays, ball clays, fire clays and porcelain clays.

1a : an earthy material that is plastic when moist but hard when fired, that is composed mainly of fine particles of hydrous aluminum silicates and other minerals, and that is used for brick, tile, and pottery specifically : soil composed chiefly of this material having particles less than a specified size.

Soil with a large amount of clay is sometimes hard to work with, due to some of clay’s characteristics.

• Particle Size.
• Structure.
• Organic Content.
• Permeablity and Water-Holding Capacity.
• Identifying Clay.

There are three essential properties that make clay different from dirt. These are plasticity, porosity, and the ability to vitrify.

“Clay soils hold huge amounts of plant nutrients because they have elevated cation exchange capacities,” said Brewer. This means they are able to hold on to nutrients, fertilizer and pesticides. Another plus for clay soils is that they hang onto water really well.

Covering approximately 13 percent of the total continental land area on Earth, Gelisols are found primarily in Russia and Canada, with minor occurrences in Alaska in the United States, and in Antarctica.

Extraction of raw materials like clay from their natural habitats has a consequential effect on the natural environment [8]. The effects resulted from clay can be enormous, such as air and water pollution, soil erosion, geo-environmental disasters, loss of biodiversity, and loss of economic wealth [9].

Answer: if you will press a clay the clay will mold depends what shape or texture that you use. because clay is a stiff, sticky fine-grained earth, typically yellow, red, or bluish-gray in color and often forming an impermeable layer in the soil.

Answer: An external force may cause a change in the state of motion, size and shape of an object. The force may cause a change in the internal arrangement of molecules making up the object and depending upon the magnitude of the force, the size or shape of the object may change.

the shape of the material sponge change when it zapped with light.

The sponge is actually made up of a mixture of solid and gas. When you squeeze it, the solid part changes it shape, but stays the same size. The gas in the holes gets smaller, so the entire sponge takes up less space.

Answer. Answer: It is a physical change because you are changing the physical shape of the piece of tin foil. You are tearing it, and now it becomes two pieces.

The sponge is matter and considered as solid because it has a definite volume and shape does not change unless compressed. A sponge can be compressed easily even though it can be considered as solids because they have minute pores in it which are filled with air.

When we compress the sponge, the trapped air inside the minute holes of the sponge gets expelled out. – As we have seen, a sponge regains its shape and mass remains the same after the compression. Therefore, a sponge can be considered as solid though it is compressible.

A sponge can be compressed easily but still we count them in solids because they have minute pores in it which are filled with air. When we press the sponge air is expelled from its holes making it highly compressible.

As the particles in liquid have small between them, they have little force of attraction and thus, the particles are not tightly bound to each other. Now, as the particles have little spacing between them, the particles can be displaced or moved. Thus, the liquids flow.

Liquid facts for kids

• A liquid is a form of matter.
• Every small force makes a liquid change its shape by flowing.
• Fluids that flow slowly have a high viscosity.
• It is difficult to compress a liquid.
• Examples of liquid are water, oils and blood.