1. What they are, how they form, and how we use ‘em

2. A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition.

3. This

4. NOT this

5. …cannot form from materials that were once part of a living thing…

6. Definite volume and shape

7. The particles of the mineral line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again

8. Quartz

10. The color of a mineral can be used to identify it…

11. …but color is not the most reliable form of identification for most minerals…

12. The streak of a mineral is the color of its powder…this is not always the same color as the mineral itself!!!

13. Luster is the term used to describe how light is reflected from a mineral’s surface.

14. How hard a mineral is compared to other minerals, which is determined by a scratch test and rated on Mohs hardness scale.

15. Mineral’s crystals grow atom by atom in a specific way to form crystal systems.

17. A mineral that splits easily along a flat surface has cleavage.

18. A mineral that breaks apart in an irregular way has fracture.

19. a.k.a. other cool identifying features

20. Each mineral has a characteristic (its own) density. This does not change…ever!