Physical Properties Of Minerals
12 NOV 14
Starter:Students collected mineral samples on a field trip and tested them for different properties. The students used the Moh’s Hardness scale to determine the identity of the mineral. They determined that the mineral had a hardness of 4.5. Which of the following statements is true about the mineral?
Mineral HardnessDiamond 10Corundum 9Topaz 8Quartz 7Feldspar 6Apatite 5Fluorite 4Copper Penny 3.5
Calcite 3Fingernail 2.5Gypsum 2Talc 1
A the mineral can scratch talc and be scratched by calciteB the mineral is harder than topaz but not harder than apatiteC the mineral can scratch a copper penny and be scratched by feldspar.D the mineral is harder than fluorite and feldspar.
4.5
Practice
Properties of
Minerals
Streak
Cleavage
Fracture
Luster
Hardness
Color
Color
• Some have only one color- ex: gold
• Others have a variety of colors-ex: Calcite can be pink, blue, orange, red, brown, white, clear
Streak
• Color of crushed mineral powder
• A mineral always has same color streakex: Calcite can be pink, blue, orange but the streak is always white.
Cleavage
• Minerals are made of crystals
• When broken, the crystal has a particular shape
Fracture
• The way mineral is broken down
• Smooth, irregular, jagged, splintery
Luster
• Way surface reflects light
• Metallic, silky, pearly, dull
Hardness
• Resistance to being scratched
• Measure Mohs’ hardness scale
• 1 is the softest-10 is the hardest
Application/ connection:
Exit