Download Mineral Identification

MINERAL IDENTIFICATION
Chapter 3 lesson 2
MINERAL IDENTIFICATION
Based on Physical properties
 Mineral Appearance

Color
 Luster
 Streak


Hardness

Mohs Hardness Scale
Specific Gravity
 Cleavage/Fracture
 Other properties

HARDNESS OF A MINERAL
Hardness of a mineral-how easily it can be
scratched
 Talc- so soft that it can be scratched with your
fingernail
 Diamonds- the hardest mineral so they can be
used as a cutting tool
 Mohs Hardness scale

MOHS HARDNESS SCALE
1824- Austrian Scientist- Friedrich Mohs
 Developed a list of common minerals to compare
their hardness
 You have an unknown mineral and you scratch it
with different objects to obtain the hardness of
the mineral. It is only one clue in determining
the unknown mineral.

LUSTER
Luster-the way the mineral reflects light
 Can be metallic or non metallic
 Metallic- shiny
 Non- metallic

Dull
 Silky
 Glassy
 Pearly

SPECIFIC GRAVITY
Specific gravity- the ratio of the weight of the
mineral to the weight of an equal volume of water.
 Represented as a number
 Gold has a specific gravity of 19 so it is 19 times
heavier than water

STREAK
Streak- the color left behind when a mineral is
rubbed against an unglazed porcelain tile.
 The color of the mineral in powder form
 Mineral must be softer than the streak plate

CLEAVAGE/FRACTURE


Cleavage of a mineral-the breakage of a mineral
along smooth/flat surfaces.
Fracture of a mineral-minerals that break with
uneven, rough, or jagged surfaces.
OTHER PROPERTIES
Magnetite- is magnetic
 Calcite-Can bend light
 May also chemically react with substances like
calcite will with hydrochloric acid.
