Ch 3.2 "How are Minerals Identified?"

diamond, corundum, and topaz

As indicated on the Moh's Scale of Hardness what minerals can a quartz not scratch?

Quartz is a 7 on the Mohs Hardness Scale while Calcite is a 3. Quartz is harder than Calcite.

Why can the mineral quartz scratch the mineral calcite?

Quartz can be a variety of colors, depending on the chemical impurities present when the mineral formed

Why can't the mineral quartz be classified based on color alone?

cleavage

Which property causes halite to break into cubes?

talc has a dull luster and hematite has a shiny, reflective luster

Describe the luster of the minerals talc and hematite.

Quartz has fracture because it breaks into uneven surfaces

Does quartz have cleavage or fracture?

Streak is the color of a mineral in powdered form. A mineral can vary in color, but it will always have the same streak color

How are streak and color related?

The properties used to identify an unknown minerals include color, luster, streak, hardness, cleavage and fracture, density, and, in some cases, texture, reactivity, odor, fluorescence, and magnetism.

Identify all the properties used to classify an unknown mineral.

The small mineral has greater density. If volumes were the same, the heavier mineral would have greater density.

If a large mineral has the same mass as a small mineral, which mineral has a greater density?

smell, like sulfur; magnetism, like magnetite; fluorescence in uv light, like calcite

What are some special properties of minerals?

an orderly arrangement of atoms

What do symmetrical crystal shapes indicate about a mineral?

Density is the mass of an object divided by its volume.

What is density?

Diamond is the hardest mineral, with a hardness of 10.

What is the hardest mineral on Earth?

Different impurities in the two parts make them different colors. However, they have the same chemical composition and crystalline structure, so they are classified as the same mineral.

What makes the green and pink parts of the watermelon tourmaline different? Why are they classified as the same mineral?