Mineral Properties

Physical Properties of Minerals Color Streak Hardness Cleavage or Fracture Crystalline Structure Magnetism Luster Chemical Composition Specific Gravity (density)

Color 18 Of the mineral properties, color is the least accurate for figuring out a mineral’s identity 23 The purest color of quartz is clear because it has the fewest impurities inside of it

Streak 13 A mineral’s streak is the powder left behind when a mineral scratches against a streak plate. 14 The color of the powder that a mineral leaves on a piece of white, unglazed porcelain is called the streak.

Streak

Luster 20 This characteristic is how light reflects off the mineral.

Luster 21 Metallic and nonmetallic describes a mineral’s luster

Another Property Cleavage or Fracture

Cleavage 15 Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces.

Cleavage 17 A Diamond breaks evenly and this is called cleavage.

Fracture 15 Fracture is the tendency of minerals to break into irregular pieces.

Fracture 16 Quartz breaks unevenly and this is called fracture

Hardness This physical property is expressed in numbers and shows how the substance withstands being scratched.

10 Minerals are identified by Hardness is tested by scratching

Hardness What is Mohs' hardness scale? 9 A scale from 1 to 10 that measures the hardness of minerals.

Hardness Which is the softest?

Hardness Which is the hardest?

11 What physical properties can be expressed in numbers and shows how that substance withstands being scratched? Hardness

Other Properties Magnetism Crystalline Structure Chemical Composition Specific Gravity (density)

Do you have all 9? Color Streak Hardness Cleavage or Fracture Crystalline Structure Magnetism Luster Chemical Composition Specific Gravity (density)

19 The most common classification of minerals is based on chemical composition. 22 This is considered a special property that applies to only a few minerals. Magnetism.