Tests
Very unreliable test to determine a mineral. One mineral can come in many different versions of this.
Color
Is coal a mineral? Why or why not?
No. It is made from organic material.
This group of elements always contain silicon.
Silicates
For this test, you take a mineral and rub something against it to see which material is stronger/harder
Hardness test
The rarer and more expensive version of a mineral
Gem
This test takes the mass of the mineral divided by the volume that the mineral occupies
Density
Minerals have to have a definite ______ structure to be classified as a mineral.
Sulfates
There are 2 categories for this characteristic. They differentiate between shiny and not shiny.
Luster Test
Give me some examples of gems
Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, amethyst
For this test, we rub a mineral against a piece of porcelain. This test is very reliable.
Streak test
What is the difference between a crystal that grows in an open space vs a crystal growing in a restricted space?
A mineral in an open space will have well-defined crystals. A mineral in a closed space will look like more of a blob.
This group of minerals has 1 or more metallic elements and carbonate compound
Carbonates
What are the two categories that we use to classify luster?
Metallic and nonmetallic
What are the 2 types of mines used to collect ores?
Open pit mines and underground mines
You use this scale to measure hardness
Mohs scale
What is the definition of a mineral?
A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a specific chemical composition and a definite crystalline structure.
This group of minerals are compounds of sulfur and 1 or more elements.
Sulfides
This is how the mineral feels
Texture test
What is an ore?
A mineral that contains a useful substance
This tests looks at the way in which the mineral breaks apart
Cleavage/Fracture test
Naturally and be inorganic
Occur in nature and not contain anything that was once living
This group of elements is made of only 1 element.
Native element/mineral
Ratio of the weight of a substance to the weight of an equal volume of water at 4 degrees C. (The way we find out the density).
Specific gravity
How many minerals are found in Earth's crust? How many are common?