1. Mineral Identification

2. Color Most notable characteristic Caused by presence of trace elements or compounds Least reliable way to identify a mineral because: –Different mineral can have same color –Same mineral can have different color

4. Luster the way a mineral reflects light can be either metallic or non metallic if non metallic it can be dull, pearly, waxy or silky.

6. Streak the color of the powder left behind when a mineral is rubbed on a streak plate. Does not always match the minerals color Minerals streak stays constant, even if weathered.

8. Hardness the measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched one of the most useful ways of identifying a mineral use Moh’s scale of hardness

10. Cleavage a mineral that breaks relatively easily, along even planes is considered to have cleavage

12. Fracture minerals that break with rough or jagged edges have fracture

13. http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/grocha/mineral/cleavage.html

14. Special properties Calcite – double refraction & fizzes w/ HCl Magnetite – magnetic Sulfur – smells like rotten eggs Halite – salty taste