Mineral identification

©Mesquite ISD 20091

Mineral Identification

Using Properties

To Tell Them Apart

This is the title for page 10R in your INBThen write the sentence on your first line


PropertiesEach mineral has its own properties that can be

used to identify it.

• Hardness

• Color

• Streak

• Luster

• Density

• Cleavage and Fracture

• Chemical activity

• Special properties

Just Read—Do Not Write


Properties• Hardness

– Minerals can scratch any mineral softer then itself and can only be scratched by that of a mineral harder than it.

– Moh’s scale of hardness ranks minerals from 1 to 10. 10 = hardest

• Color– Can only be used to identify those minerals that

have their own characteristic color.

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Properties• Streak

– Created when a mineral is rubbed against a hard rough tile that causes it to leave a powder behind

– Different minerals leave different color streaks

– The color of the mineral does not always match its streak

• Luster– Term used to describe how a mineral reflects light from

its surface

– Terms to describe luster are glassy, earthy, waxy and pearly, metalic

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Properties• Density

– Density is the mass of a sample divided by its volume.

– In mineral identification density is also called specific gravity.

• Crystal shape– Crystals grow atom by atom.

– There are six crystal shapes.

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Properties• Cleavage and Fracture

– Cleavage is when a mineral splits along flat surfaces.

– Fracture is when the mineral does not split evenly but forms a rough surface.

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Quartz• Crystal • Cleavage

Do Nothing


Halite• Crystal Shape • Cleavage shape

Do Nothing


Properties• Chemical activity

– Some minerals react to acid. Mostly the carbonate minerals.

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Reacting to AcidDo Nothing


Properties• Special properties

– Some minerals glow under ultraviolet light

– Some minerals give off radiation

– Some minerals even have electric properties

– A few minerals are attracted to magnets

Just Read—Do not Write


Under Natural Light


Under UV light


Left Hand Side of INBPg 10L

• Divide the page into 4 equal sections—Windows

• Title the page Pictures of Properties



• Labeling sections:– Streak

– Cleavage

– Fracture

– Chemical Activity



• Streak– Draw the picture below



• Cleavage– Draw the picture below

BEFORE AFTER

SMOOTH BREAKS



• Fracture– Draw the picture below

BEFORE AFTER

ROUGH BREAK



• Chemical Activity– Draw the picture below

ACID

BUBBLES & FOAM


YOU ARE FINISHED

• Now if there is time left over—You may EXPLORE around and CREATE in Comic Life only! – There’s a way for you to take pictures on

there—have fun!

Education

Mineral identification