Color & Observation
I am red, gray, or black. I am describing what?
The color I see.
What word describes the small pieces that make up a rock?
Grains
What is the term for how much light bounces off a rock?
Luster
What is the hardness test we use called?
Moh's Hardness Scale
A substance made of different minerals and grains.
A rock with many colors mixed together
Multicolored
bumpy or smooth
What is a rock that looks shiny called?
Metallic
Fingernail
What is a mineral?
A pure substance.
One observation besides color you can make with your eyes
Size
How can you sort rocks by the texture?
grain size and rough or smooth
What is a rock that looks dull called?
Nonmetallic
What is the last tool in the Moh's Hardness Test?
Drillbit
What does classify mean?
To put in a certain category.
You see tiny sparkles on a rock. This is part of which attribute
Can rocks have more than one type of grain? What is this called?
Yes. Rocks can have different grain. This is called mixed grain.
Give one example of a mineral that looks metallic.
Pyrite "Fool's Gold" or Gold
Name one object you can use to test the hardness of minerals.
Fingernail, glass plate, nail, drill bit, penny
If the rock is bumpy or smooth.
Why isn't color alone always enough to identify a rock?
Different rocks can have the same color. You must use texture, luster, and hardness too.
How do you classify rocks by their texture?
How do you test the luster of rocks?
Test the mineral by scratching it against different objects. Fingernail, penny, glass plate, nail, drill bit.
What is the Moh's Hardness Scale?
How we test the hardness of minerals.