Questions and Answers
Which mineral is known to be always strongly magnetic?
What is the specific gravity of most silicate minerals?
Which of the following minerals has a distinctive taste that resembles salt?
What characteristic can typically be used to identify the presence of striations on a mineral's cleavage surface?
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What is the specific gravity range of heavier ore minerals?
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Study Notes
Magnetism
- Some minerals can be attracted to a hand magnet, allowing for a simple magnetism test.
- Magnetite is the only common mineral that is consistently strongly magnetic.
Striations
- Striations are very thin, parallel grooves found on minerals.
- These grooves appear on only one of the two cleavage sets and are best observed with a hand lens.
- Striations may not be visible on all parts of a cleavage surface; thorough examination under different light angles is necessary.
Specific Gravity
- Specific gravity is calculated by dividing the weight of the mineral by the weight of an equal volume of water, with water having a specific gravity of 1.0.
- Most silicate minerals have specific gravities ranging from 2.6 to 3.4, while ore minerals usually range from 5 to 8.
- High specific gravity can be a distinctive feature for some minerals, such as barite and galena.
Taste, Odor, Feel
- Certain minerals possess unique tastes; for example, halite tastes like salt.
- Some minerals emit distinctive odors; powdered sulfide minerals, like sphalerite, may smell like rotten eggs.
- The feel of minerals can also be notable; talc, for instance, has a slippery texture.
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Description
Explore the fascinating world of minerals through this quiz on magnetism and striations. Learn how to test minerals for magnetic properties and identify striations using a hand lens. This quiz will enhance your knowledge of mineral characteristics and their identification.
