MINERALS IN CDS (AND DISKS)

By: James Hardy

My Mineral Research Question

What minerals make a CD or DVD? Why are these materials used?

A DVD

A DVD is a compact disk used to store data, typically things that include:

Movies Video Games Any type of video.

A CD

A CD is another type of compact disk, but instead of holding videos, video games, et cetera, but a CD holds:

Music Any type of audio

Minerals used in both

Gold Silver Bauxite (or Aluminum)

Gold

The data of a CD is read out onto the machine by scanning the spiral

track using a laser. Which is why gold is used in both a CD and a disk because the mineral is a great reflector of light and infrared heat.

Silver

After the data of a CD/disk is

read, the data converts in high

frequency signals.

Silver is used in CDs/disks because silver is a great electrical conductor, which can convert data into high frequencies.

Bauxite (Aluminum)

Bauxite (Aluminum) is also a great

electrical conductor, so Aluminum can also convert data into high frequencies.

Sources

"The Life Cycle of a CD or DVD." (2003): 1-2. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.

"CD Player." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.

"Aluminum." Aluminum. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.

"Gold." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.

"Infrared Light." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.