1. Mineral Identification

2. What you’ll learn
Describe physical properties used to identify minerals.

3. Common uses of Rocks and Minerals
Have you ever used a Mineral?
YES!!!!!!!
Minerals are all around us.

4. Introduction
Many of the items used in our homes and in industry are made of materials that were mined from the ground.
There are thousand of known minerals .
It is estimated that every person in the USA will use more than a million pounds of rocks, minerals and metals during their lifetime.

5. Important Physical Properties used in the identification of minerals
Color
Hardness
Luster
Specific gravity
Streak
Cleavage and fracture
Interaction with light
Reaction with Acid and Water

6. Color
The color of the mineral helps you with identification, but sometimes, the same mineral have different colors

7. Luster It is the way a mineral reflects light.
Either metallic or nonmetallic

8. Light Interaction - Put the mineral on top of your book. If it is:
Opaque – no light pass through the mineral. You can’t see through
Translucent – some light can pass through, but you can’t see through the mineral
Transparent – light rays can pass through the mineral and you can see letters from the book right through it.

9. Streak Rub a mineral across a piece of porcelain tile.
a streak of powdered mineral is left behind.
The color of the streak will help you identify the mineral, because sometimes is different than the color of the mineral.

10. Hardness
A measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched by another mineral or other materilas
For this test you use the Mohr’s Scale in the back of your handout

11. Ex of a Mohs Scale Mohs Hardness Scale Mineral Rating Testing Method
Talc
Gypsum
Calcite
Fluorite
Apatite
Feldspar
Quartz
Topaz
Corundum
Diamond
Rating
Testing Method
1 Softest known mineral. It flakes easily when scratched by a fingernail.
2 A fingernail can easily scratch it.
3 A fingernail cannot scratch it, but a copper penny can.
4 A steel knife can easily scratch it.
5 A steel knife can scratch it.
6 Cannot be scratched by a steel knife, but it can scratch window glass.
7 Can scratch steel and hard glass easily.
8 Can scratch quartz.
9 Can scratch topaz.
10 Hardest known mineral. Diamond can cut or scratch all other substances.

12. Cleavage/ Fracture - the way a mineral breaks
Minerals that break along smooth, flat surfaces have cleavage.
Minerals that breaks uneven, rough, or jagged surfaces have fracture.

13. Reaction with Acid Some minerals will fizz in contact with acids
Others can dissolve in contact with water
Also these properties will help identify a mineral