Warm Up Minerals that are silicates contain ___________ and ____________. **Turn in your mineral vocabulary to the HW box!!***

Identifying Minerals

Ways to identify a mineral Color Luster Streak Cleavage and Fracture Hardness Density Special properties

Color NOT a good way to identify a mineral. Two different minerals can be the same color. The same mineral can be different colors fluoriteamethyst

Luster The way the mineral reflects light. Metallic – looks like metal Submetallic – dull, but reflective Nonmetallic – dull or clear

Streak The color of a mineral’s powder Found by rubbing the mineral across a streak plate (ceramic tile) **The streak color may not match the mineral’s color!**

Cleavage and Fracture Cleavage – breaks along smooth edges (layers) Fracture – breaks along uneven or irregular surfaces (jagged edges) Mica – example of cleavage Quartz – example of fracture

Hardness A mineral’s resistance to being scratched. Ranked from 1-10 on Moh’s Hardness Scale. 1=softest, 10=hardest

Density The amount of matter in a given space When compared to water, it is called specific gravity.

Special Properties Fluorescence – glows under UV light Magnetism – natural magnet Chemical reaction – bubbles or fizzes w/acid solution Taste – halite tastes salty Normal light UV light Calcite fizzing from acid