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Minerals Notes
Types of minerals:
Silicate Minerals - minerals that contain a combination of silicon
and oxygen. They make up 90% of the Earth's crust.
Nonsilicate Minerals - minerals that do not contain a combination
of the elements silicon and oxygen. There are six classes of these
Six classes of nonsilicate minerals:
Native elements - minerals that are composed of only one
element.
Carbonates - minerals that contain combinations of carbon and
oxygen.
Halides - compounds that are formed when atoms of the elements
fluorine, chlorine, iodine, or bromine combine with sodium,
potassium, or calcium.
Oxides - compounds that are formed when an element, such as
aluminum or iron, combines chemically with oxygen.
Sulfates - contains sulfur and oxygen.
Sulfides - minerals that contain one or more elements, such as
lead, iron, or nickel, combine with sulfur.
MOH’S HARDNESS SCALE
 Hardness measures the
ability of a mineral to
resist scratching by
another mineral or object
of known hardness.

The test used is called
the Mohs' Hardness
Scale.

The scale is made up of
ten minerals arranged in
decreasing hardness; 1
is the softest and 10 is
the hardest.

Objects with higher value
on the Mohs' scale are
capable of scratching
objects with lower
values.
LUSTER
Either metallic or nonmetallic. Some common nonmetallic lusters are:
Vitreous- glassy appearance
Adamantine- diamond-like appearance
Pearly- iridescence like pearls
Silky- having a fibrous, silk-like luster
Earthy- dull
CLEAVAGE
A flat split or separation of a mineral
when broken.
Some minerals cleave in sheets and
some cleave leaving flat sides.
Some minerals have cleavage in
more than one direction and others
have no cleavage at all.
FRACTURE
The way a mineral breaks when it does not have cleavage. Kinds of fracture are;
Conchoidal- bowl shaped structures like the inside of a clam shell;
like obsidian
Fibrous or splintery- fractured surface shows
fibers or splinters; like asbestos
Uneven- this surface is rough and irregular; like
basalt
STREAK
The color of powdered or crushed mineral on a piece of unglazed
porcelain called a streak plate.
The streak is much more consistent than
color for the purpose of identification.
COLOR
Metallic minerals have distinct colors.
Nonmetallic minerals display a variety of colors.
The use of color to identify minerals must be made cautiously
because it is a subjective determination.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY
The ratio of its
weight (or mass)
to the weight (or
mass) of an
equal volume of
water.
SPECIAL PROPERTIES
Reacts to hydrochloric acid (HCl)
may fizz when HCl applied (only fizzes after mineral is powdered)
Is magnetic
Changes color under an ultra-violet light
Taste
Smell