1. MINERAL IDENTIFICATION CHAPTER 5 SECTION 3

2. BY INSPECTION (VISUAL) 1. COLOR – LEAST RELIABLE TEST a. VARIOUUS MINERALS HAVE THE SAME COLOR b. IMPURITIES MAY CHANGE SOME MINERALS COLOR C. SOME MINERALS CHANGE WHEN EXPOSED TO AIR CINNIBAR – REDSULFUR – YELLOW MALACHITE – GREENAZURITE - BLUE

3. 2.LUSTER – HOW A MINERAL SURFACE REFLECTS LIGHT METALLIC – SHINY LIKE A POLISHED METAL – PYRITE AND GALENA NONMETALLIC VITREOUS – GLASSLIKE (QUARTZ) PEARLY – (MICA) RESINOUS – WAXY (SPHALERITE) ADAMANTINE – SHINY (DIAMOND)

4. 3. CRYSTAL SHAPE - ONE OF SIX PATTERNS. RARE IN NATURE

6. BY TESTING: 1.STREAK – COLOR OF A POWDERED MINERAL METALLIC – AS DARK OR DARKER THAN MINERAL NONMETALLIC – USUALLY COLORLESS OR WHITE

7. PYRITE STREAK

8. 2. BREAKAGE a. CLEAVAGE – TENDENCY OF A MINERAL TO BREAK ALONG A FLAT SHINY SURFACE. INDICATES ZONES OF WEAKNESS IN ATOMIC BONDS ( b. FRACTURE – UNPREDICTABLE BREAK THAT DOES NOT OCCUR ALONG ANY SURFACE CONCHOIDAL AND FIBROUS FRACTURES

9. CALCITE CLEAVAGE

10. HALITE CLEAVAGE

11. FRACTURES

12. CONCHOIDAL FRACTURE

14. FIBROUS FRACTURE (ASBESTOS)

15. 3. HARDNESS – MINERALS RESISTENCE TO BEING SCRATCHED MOH’S HARDNESS SCALE 1.TALC 7. QUARTZ 10 DIAMOND

17. 4. SPECIFIC GRAVITY – RATIO COMPARING WEIGHT OF MINERAL TO THE WEIGHT OF AN EQUAL VOLUME OF WATER Wa Wa – W H20 NONMETALLIC = 3 OR LESS METALLIC = 5 OR MORE

18. Specific gravity is a unit less measure, because it is derived from the density of the mineral divided by the density of water and thus all units cancel. However, since water's density equals 1 gram per cubic centimeter (at specific conditions), then a mineral's specific gravity would also correspond to a mineral's density as expressed in grams per cubic centimeter. Specific gravity, or SG, as already stated compares the density of a mineral to the density of water. If a mineral has a SG of 2, then it is twice as dense as water. If a mineral has a SG of 3 then it is three times as dense as water and so forth.

19. 5. ACID TEST – USED TO IDENTIFY CARBONATE MINERALS. REACT BY BUBBLING – CO 2 BEING RELEASED.

20. 6. SPECIAL PROPERTIES a. MAGNETIC – ATTRACTED TO A MAGNET (MAGNETITE), LODESTONE – ACTS LIKE A MAGNET

21. MAGNETITE

22. b. DOUBLE REFRACTION – SPLIT LIGHT CAUSING DOUBLE IMAGE (ICELANDIC SPAR CALCITE)

23. c. FLOURESCENT – GLOW UNDER A UV LIGHT PHOSPHORESCENCE – WILL CONTINUE TO GLOW AFTERWARD

25. d. TASTE – HALITE CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY IT’S SALTY TASTE