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Physical Properties of Minerals

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Physical Properties of Minerals

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Questions and Answers

All minerals have the same color.

False (B)

The way a mineral reflects light is called luster.

True (A)

Cleavage refers to the way a mineral feels when touched.

False (B)

A mineral with metallic luster looks shiny like a metal.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Streak is always the same color as the mineral.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between cleavage and fracture in minerals?

<p>Cleavage refers to the mineral breaking along flat, smooth surfaces, while fracture refers to irregular or rough breaking.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Name two tools you can use to test a mineral's hardness.

<p>Fingernail, steel nail, glass, or penny.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is color alone not a reliable property for identifying minerals?

<p>Many minerals can come in a variety of colors due to impurities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What property is tested by rubbing a mineral on a porcelain tile?

<p>Streak</p> Signup and view all the answers

Name three physical properties you can use to identify a mineral.

<p>Hardness, luster, color, streak, cleavage, or fracture.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Luster: What's a mineral's shine like?

A characteristic of a mineral that describes how it reflects light. Examples include metallic, glassy, or dull.

Hardness: How scratch-resistant is a mineral?

A mineral's ability to resist scratching. It's measured using the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Streak: What color is the mineral's powder?

The color of a mineral's powder when rubbed against a streak plate.

Cleavage & Fracture: How does a mineral break?

The way a mineral breaks. Smooth, flat surfaces are cleavage. Uneven breaks are fracture.

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Mineral Identification: How do you tell minerals apart?

The ability to identify a mineral based on its physical properties, like color, luster, and hardness.

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Mohs Hardness Scale: How hard are minerals compared?

A tool used to determine the hardness of a mineral by comparing it to a series of 10 minerals.

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Toughness: Can a mineral bend or snap?

A mineral's resistance to breaking or bending.

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Crystal Structure: Like an internal building blueprint

The natural arrangement of atoms within a mineral.

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Crystal Habit: What's the mineral's natural shape?

A mineral's natural, geometric shape, often formed by the arrangement of its atoms within a crystal.

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Tenacity: How easily does a mineral bend, stretch, or tear?

A mineral's resistance to breaking or bending due to its internal structure.

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Cleavage: How does a mineral break neatly?

The property of a mineral that describes how its internal structure can make it break along certain planes.

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Cleavage vs. Fracture: Neat break vs. uneven break

The difference between cleavage and fracture in minerals

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Tools for Hardness Testing: How do we test a mineral's scratch resistance?

A tool used to test a mineral's hardness.

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Color: Is it a reliable mineral ID?

Why color alone is not a reliable way to identify minerals

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Streak Test: Rubbing a mineral for a color clue

The process used to test a mineral's streak

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3 Mineral Identification Properties: Clues for finding a mineral's identity

Three physical properties used to identify a mineral.

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Luster: How does a mineral reflect light?

The appearance of a mineral surface as it reflects light. It can be metallic, glassy, pearly, earthy, or dull.

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Hardness: How scratch-resistant is a mineral?

How easily a mineral can be scratched. It is measured on the Mohs Hardness Scale, which ranges from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).

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Streak: What color is the mineral's powder?

The color of the mineral's powder, which can be different from the mineral’s overall color.

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Cleavage & Fracture: How does a mineral break?

The way a mineral breaks - along flat, smooth surfaces (cleavage) or unevenly (fracture).

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Mineralogy: What's the science of rocks and crystals?

The study of minerals and their properties.

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Mineral: A natural solid with a specific composition and structure.

A naturally occurring, solid, inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition and crystal structure.

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Mineral Identification: How do you tell minerals apart?

The process of identifying minerals based on their physical properties.

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Mohs Hardness Scale: A scale to compare mineral hardness.

A scale used to determine the hardness of minerals. It ranges from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).

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Toughness: How strong is a mineral?

The ability of a mineral to resist breaking or bending. It depends on its internal structure.

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Crystal Structure: How a mineral's atoms are arranged.

The internal structure of a mineral, which determines its crystal habit and other properties.

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Crystal Habit: A mineral's natural shape

The natural shape of a mineral, often determined by its crystal structure. It can be cubic, prismatic, or irregular.

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Tenacity: How does a mineral bend or tear?

The way a mineral reacts to forces like bending or stretching.

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Cleavage: How does a mineral break cleanly?

The process of breaking a mineral along specific planes, resulting in smooth, flat surfaces.

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Cleavage vs. Fracture: Smooth break vs uneven break

The difference between cleavage and fracture in minerals.

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Tools for Hardness Testing: How do we test a mineral's scratch resistance?

Tools used to determine a mineral's hardness, such as a fingernail, a penny, a steel nail, or a piece of glass.

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Color: A tricky clue in mineral ID

The colour of a mineral is not a reliable indicator of its identity because many minerals can have a wide range of colours due to impurities.

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Streak Test: Rubbing a mineral for a color clue

A test used to determine the colour of a mineral's powder by rubbing the mineral against a streak plate (a piece of unglazed porcelain).

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3 Mineral Identification Properties: Identifying a mineral's identity

Three physical properties used to identify a mineral, including color, luster, and hardness.

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Study Notes

Physical Properties of Minerals

Minerals have various physical properties used to identify them
Hardness: Measured using the Mohs scale
Luster: Describes how a mineral reflects light
Streak: Color of a mineral's powdered form
Cleavage: How a mineral breaks along flat surfaces
Fracture: How a mineral breaks in an irregular way
Color: Not always a reliable indicator due to impurities

Identifying Minerals

Multiple properties are often needed to identify a mineral, not just color
Rubbing a mineral on a porcelain tile tests its streak
Hardness is measured using the Mohs scale
Luster describes how the mineral reflects light
Cleavage describes how the mineral breaks
Fracture describes how the mineral does not break in a plane

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Related Documents

Science Quiz on Mineral Properties PDF

Description

Explore the essential physical properties used for identifying minerals, including hardness, luster, streak, cleavage, and fracture. This quiz will help reinforce your understanding of how these properties assist in mineral identification. Test your knowledge on the various characteristics that define different minerals.

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