1. Bellringer: Sort these items into minerals and not minerals: Wood
Sulfur
Feldspar
Fossil
Granite
Gold
Copper
Halite
Ice
Water
Talc
Topaz
Dirt
Smoke
Sun

2. What is a Mineral?

3. What is a mineral? Properties:
Solid
Cannot be a liquid or a gas
Naturally Occurring
Found in nature, not man-made
Inorganic
Is not alive and never was, non-living
Fixed composition
Has a chemical formula, most are formed from compounds of two or more elements, some minerals consist of one element ex. Au
Crystal Form
A definite structure in which atoms are arranged

4. What is a mineral? Definition:
A mineral is a naturally formed, inorganic solid that has a definite crystalline structure.
-Questions to ask yourself when determining if an item is a mineral or not:
Is it non-living material?
Is it a solid?
Is it formed in nature?
Does it have a crystalline structure?

5. Minerals are identified by their key characteristics
hardness
crystal shape (form)
luster
color
Streak
Density (specific gravity)
Cleavage/fracture
special properties
--reaction to acid
--fluorescence
--salty taste
--magnetism

6. Hardness
Refers to "scratchability" or resistance to being scratched. Harder minerals will scratch softer minerals.
Geologists rank minerals according to hardness using the Moh's scale
Moh's Hardness Scale
1.0     TALC
2.0    GYPSUM
FINGERNAIL
3.0    CALCITE
3.5    COPPER PENNY
4.0    FLUORITE
5.0    APATITE
5.5    STEEL KNIFE/GLASS PLATE
6.0    FELDSPAR
7.0    QUARTZ
8.0     TOPAZ
9.0     CORUNDUM (RUBY)
DIAMOND

7. Crystal Shape (Form)
External structure due to internal arrangement of the atoms

9. Luster Describes how light reflects off the surface
Main categories are “metallic” and “non- metallic”
Non-metallic includes “dull,” glassy,” waxy,” “pearly,” and others

10. Non-metallic mineral
Metallic mineral

11. Cleavage and Fracture
-Cleavage refers to the pattern of very smooth, flat, or reflective surfaces that a mineral “cleaves” or breaks into.
-These special breakage surfaces correspond to zones of weak bonding in the crystal structure.
-Other minerals break unevenly along rough or curved surfaces--this is called fracture
NO cleavage

12. Color
-Color results from ability to absorb some wavelengths and reflect others
-some minerals have characteristic color while others vary due to chemical differences or impurities (rust, other mineral, etc.)
e.x. quartz
-VERY unreliable.

13. Streak
Color of the powder when rubbed on a “streak plate” (unglazed porcelain)
Always the same unlike color.

14. Density (Specific Gravity)
density (mass /volume)
Specific Gravity is the density of the mineral compared with density of water

15. Special Characteristics-- Fluorescence
Some minerals will glow when placed under ultraviolet light
Carbonates react with dilute HCl and other acids by fizzing or bubbling (releasing CO2 gas)
The “Acid Test”

16. Special Characteristics-- Salty Taste
DO NOT TASTE MOST MINERALS!
Halite is the exception--it will taste salty

17. Special Characteristics-- Magnetism
Many iron minerals will produce an invisible magnetic force field