Properties 1
this test is to determine if a mineral can scratch others or be scratched
What is a hardness test?
Describes how light is reflected from a mineral’s surface
What is luster?
This characteristic of a mineral means that minerals are formed from materials that were not a part of living things
What is an inorganic process?
This is used to rank the hardness of minerals using a ranking system from 1 to 10
What is the Mohs hardness scale?
The two terms that describe how a mineral breaks
What are cleavage and fracture?
The color of a minerals powder is called this
What is streak?
This term describes how a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way (Ex. Quartz produces curved shell-like surfaces when it is broken)
What is fracture?
This characteristic of a mineral means that a mineral always contains certain elements in definite proportions. (Ex. Quartz always contains 1 atom of silicon for every 2 atoms of oxygen.)
What is definite chemical composition?
This mineral forms naturally as molten material (magma) cools and hardens beneath the Earth’s surface with a Hardness of 7
What is quartz?
This is the reason Coal isn't considered a mineral
What is "organic"?
The color of a mineral and the color of it’s streak are often____________.
What is different?
The color of a mineral’s _____ is always the same even though the color of the mineral itself may vary.
What is streak?
To be classified as a mineral, the substance must satisfy this number of requirements
What are 5 characteristics?
A mineral that splits easily along flat surfaces has this property, which is uncommon for minerals
(ex. Mica)
What is cleavage?
The reason why brick, steel, and glass are not considered minerals.
What is "not naturally occurring" or "man-made"?
Metallic, silky, waxy, greasy, earthy, pearly and glassy are adjectives that can describe this property of a mineral
What is Luster?
1) Use a balance to determine the mass of the mineral sample 2) put the mineral sample and water to see how much water it displaces to get it’s volume (the volume of the displaced water equals the volume of the sample) 3) Divide the mass of the mineral sample by it’s volume to get the mineral’s _________
What is density?
A solid that is formed from a repeating pattern of a mineral’s particles; having flat sides (faces) that meet at sharp edges and corners
What is a crystal?
A substance composed of a single kind of atom
What is an element?
When two or more elements are combined so that the elements no longer have distinct properties it becomes this
What is a compound?
The characteristics of minerals are that 1) it is naturally occurring, 2) it is a solid, 3) it has a crystal structure, 4) it has a definite chemical composition and 5)???
What is “forms by inorganic processes”?
Geologists identify minerals by examining their _____; such as, streak, crystal structure, hardness, density, cleavage and fracture.
What is “physical properties”?
The reason for why glaciers are minerals and water is not.
What is "solid"?
Fluorescence
To be classified as a mineral rather than a synthetic material, it must form through natural geological processes, meaning it is not made by these.
What is man-made?