1. Minerals

2. What is a mineral? Naturally occurring  NOT man-made
Inorganic  does NOT coming from living things or things that were once alive
Solid
Crystal structure  a repeating pattern of particles that create flat sides and sharp edges and corners
Definite chemical composition  always contain certain elements in definite proportions (ie: Quartz = 1 atom of silicon for ever 2 atoms of oxygen)

3. Identifying Minerals Color Malachite is always GREEN
Azurite is always BLUE

4. Streak – the color of its powder; can be different than the minerals color
Pyrite – gold color; green/black streak
Gold – gold color; golden yellow streak

5. Luster – describes how light is reflected from a mineral’s surface
Waxy/Greasy/ Pearly
Earthy
Metallic
Silky
Glassy

6. Density – how much mass is “squeezed” into a certain amount of space
Hardness – Moh’s hardness scale

7. Cleavage – when a mineral splits easily along a flat surface
Mica
Fracture – when a mineral breaks apart in an irregular way
Quartz

8. Special properties (p.122):
Fluorescence
Reactivity
Optical properties
Magnetism
Electrical Properties