Minerals are chemical substances that occur commonly in nature. Unlike rocks, they have a specific chemical makeup and properties. Minerals can include aggregations of single chemical elements -- such as calcium -- as well as salts and silicates. Common minerals include nitrogen, phosphorus, iodine and zinc. These types of solids are essential for nutrition to humans, animals and plants.
Humans need a variety of minerals in their diet to maintain health, prevent illness and increase energy. These minerals include calcium, iron, iodine, fluoride and zinc. Though we only need a small amount of these minerals daily, the effect of these minerals on our health is significant. One experiment that explores the relationship between minerals and human nutrition involves students taking mineral supplements every day over a two-month period then recording their energy levels and overall health. Students should first consult their doctors about taking a particular mineral supplement. They would then choose one mineral, for instance, iron, and take it daily, then record their overall health and well-being daily in a journal.
Plants require more varied types of minerals in larger amounts for nutrition than humans do. Minerals are, in fact, integral to plant health and growth. One experiment that explores how plants grow with specific minerals involves taking six hearty plants and placing each of them in a liquid solution that lacks certain minerals. Each mineral solution will lack one type of mineral essential for plant growth -- nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. Put one plant in a solution of simply water and another in a solution with all of the essential minerals. Students will measure plant growth over a period of months to determine which elements promote the most growth.
Some humans can get mineral nutrition from mineral-rich tap water. Water that is rich in minerals is often referred to as hard water. Students can determine the mineral content of various types of water by experimenting with hard water. For this experiment you will need three clean, empty soda bottles and liquid dish washing detergent. Fill one bottle with rain water, one with tap water and one with water and 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts. Add several drops of dish washing detergent to each bottle then shake them up. The water with the most minerals will not produce as many suds as the ones with fewer minerals.