Do Now – SILENTLY!  Take out your agenda Sheet, Science folder, packet, and 2 pencils 1. What is a mineral? (Write all 5 characteristics) 2. Draw a picture of a mineral.

Look at the following minerals. Which do you think are the same types of minerals and which do you think are different?

HAHA! I tricked you!  These are all the SAME type of mineral! These are all examples of the mineral QUARTZ!

Why is it so difficult to tell minerals apart!?  There are at least 4,000 minerals that we know of in the Earth’s crust  As you can see with quartz, often times the same kind of mineral can look very different!  Therefore, geologists use several types of tests to determine the type of mineral they have found!

How to identify minerals  There are many different ways, but we will explore the main ways!

Today’s objective  Know: Mineral Identification  Show: Explain how minerals are identified by their properties  LOT: Comprehension

How to take notes Mineral property How to test this property Picture

Color  Color is the most noticeable characteristic of a mineral. However, it is also the least reliable characteristic.

Color  With the colored pencils at your desk, draw a picture of two different minerals of two different colors (like Quartz)

Streak Streak is the color of the line a mineral makes when it is scraped on a tile. (This is a better clue to a mineral’s identity than the surface color.)

Streak Draw a picture: Fun fact: one way to tell the difference between pyrite (Fool’s gold) and real gold is by streak. Pyrite leaves a greenish-black streak while real gold leaves a yellow streak.

Luster  Luster is the way a mineral reflects light from its surface. The two types of luster are: 1. Metallic 2. Non-Metallic

Luster – 2 types! Draw a picture: Metallic:Non-Metallic:

Hardness  Hardness is a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched.  Measured on Mohs scale 1- 10

Mohs Scale – Fun facts!  Your fingernail has a hardness of about 2.5  A steel file has a harness of about 6.5  A diamond is the hardness mineral only another diamond can scratch a diamond

Hardness Draw a picture

How a mineral breaks A mineral can break in two ways: 1. Cleavage: breaks into regular, flat pieces 1. Fracture: breaks into irregular, jagged pieces.

How a mineral breaks CleavageFracture

What are the different ways we can test a mineral?????? There are FIVE major ways!

The tests: 1. COLOR 2. LUSTER: Metallic or Non- Metallic 3. STREAK: color on tile 4. HARDNESS : Mohs’ scale 5. How a mineral b-r-e-a-k-s: cleavage or fracture

CFU!  What is the least most reliable of all the properties? Why?  What is the difference between cleavage and fracture?  What would happen if you rubbed a mineral of a Mohs’ value 7 with a Mohs’ value 5?

Let’s Brain Pop! First watch Then fill out the quiz! tification/

CFU  What is the streak test? How do you perform it?  What are the two different types of luster? How do you know which is which?  Challenge question: Any other ideas of how we could test minerals!?!?!!?

How else can we tell minerals apart?  DENSITY! (how tightly packed it is!)  ACID Test! (might form bubbles)  Fluorescence (normal light vs. ultraviolet light)