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  • Most Common Minerals: Composition, Abundance & Occurrence
    It depends on what you mean by "common." Do you mean:

    * Most abundant in the Earth's crust?

    * Feldspar is the most abundant mineral, making up around 60% of the Earth's crust.

    * Quartz is the second most abundant, making up about 12% of the Earth's crust.

    * Other common minerals in the Earth's crust include pyroxene, amphibole, mica, and olivine.

    * Most commonly found in rocks?

    * The minerals listed above are all very common in rocks, along with calcite (found in limestone and marble), dolomite (found in dolostone), and gypsum (found in sedimentary rocks).

    * Most commonly used by humans?

    * Quartz is used in many applications, including glass, electronics, and abrasives.

    * Feldspar is used in ceramics, glass, and some types of paint.

    * Mica is used as an insulator in electrical equipment.

    * Calcite is used in cement, building materials, and papermaking.

    * Gypsum is used in drywall, plaster, and fertilizer.

    So, depending on the definition of "common," there are different answers!

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