What is the most common mineral?
A bit of research will reveal some controversy in the answer to this question. Many people consider quartz to be the most common mineral on the surface of the earth. Quartz is found almost everywhere as a visible constituent in granite, for example, or beach sand or just about any rock that you pick up. Other people regard feldspar to be the most common mineral. In fact, the name “feldspar” refers to a group of related mineral species among which include orthoclase, plagioclase, oligoclase, microcline, and many others. Strictly speaking, if one refers to distinct mineral species instead of mineral groups, then quartz would seem to be the most common. If one is inclined to regard all feldspars as the same “mineral,” then the answer is probably a toss-up between quartz and feldspar.
