Identifying Rocks & Minerals

Here are rocks that have many colors Here are rocks that have many colors. red pink yellow gray black gold white silver light dark blue clear

Shape Rocks can be . . . oval square round circle flat rectangle triangle

Here are rocks that are smooth and shiny. They have texture and luster Here are rocks that are smooth and shiny. They have texture and luster. Texture Luster smooth shiny bumpy sparkly rough dull metallic non-metallic

Further Testing . . . The Acid Test Hydrochloric acid Fizzes – Calcite Doesn’t fizz – No calcite The Streak Test Dark streak Light streak No streak Magnet Test Magnetite Loadstone

Moh’s Hardness Scale Moh’s Hardness Scale measures a mineral’s hardness on a scale from 1 to 10. Very soft – Talc Very soft – Gypsum Soft – Calcite Somewhat soft- Fluorite Medium - Apatite 6. Medium – Feldspar Medium – Quartz Medium hard - Topaz Hard – Corundum Hardest - Diamond

The Scratch Test for Hardness Very Soft: You can scratch it with your fingernail. Soft: You can scratch it with copper, but not your fingernail. Medium: You can scratch it with an iron nail. Hard: Nothing will scratch it.

Rocks R1 Basalt R2 Gabbro R3 Granite R4 Pumice R5 Rhyolite R6 Conglomerate R7 Limestone R8 Sandstone R9 Shale R10 Gneiss R11 Marble R12 Quartzite R13 Slate

Minerals M1 Biotite Mica M2 Calcite M3 Dolomite M4 Feldspar M5 Galena M6 Gypsum M7 Halite M8 Hematite M9 Pyrite M10 Quartz M11 Talc