Have you ever wondered where the electronics that you use daily come from? These modern conveniences that have become a central part of our lives are marvels of engineering. They make it easier for us to connect with other people, and to find information that we need.
Although it may not look like it, the cell phone is made completely from minerals and rocks that are mined from the Earth. In their natural state, these Earth materials look nothing like electronic components. They must go through refinement and processing to look like recognizable products.
Minerals are elements or chemical compounds that are normally solid and formed by geological processes, biomineralization, or synthesis in a laboratory. Rocks are aggregates of minerals. The Earth materials that are used to make cell phones and computers are called critical or strategic minerals. All together, more than 40 minerals and rocks are used to make cell phones.
To make the parts for cell phones, the elements or compounds that are found in critical minerals are needed. In this digital gallery, we will have a look at some of the parts, see what basic elements or compounds are needed for them, and examine some of the minerals and rocks that are used as sources for those elements or compounds.
