Science Homework Help
Mineral Identification Chart Project
For this activity you will need to watch the short video(s) for each mineral. You have been provided with key characteristics for each mineral on the page with the mineral videos. You will need to identify each mineral by comparing that information with the table below to determine the mineral name. Once you have determined the mineral name you will need to create an excel table with the following columns and in this order:
Sample Number, Luster, Hardness, Fracture/Cleavage, Streak, Color, Other properties, and Mineral name. You will be submitting this completed table. You need to put the samples in numeric order in the chart.
Each mineral with the corresponding information is worth 3 points.
Mineral Identification Chart
Luster
Hardness
Cleavage
Streak
Other Properties
Mineral
Metallic
> 5.5
Poor
Dark Gray
Dark silvery gray to black, H 6 to 6.5, magnetic
Magnetite
<5.5
Good
Gray – dark Gray
Bluish-?silver, cubic, H 2.5, dense
Galena
Good
Dark gray
Dark silver-gray to black, H 1, can form sheets
Graphite
Poor
Brick red
Dull Red or silvery, H 1 – 6, can be weakly magnetic
Hematite
Good
White to pale gray
Brassy yellow, H 6 – 6.5, cubic
Pyrite
Non-metallic
>5.5
Good
White to pale gray
Dark gray to black, H 5.5-6, 56o and 124o cleavage, forms prisms
Amphibole
Poor
No streak
Red, yellow, black or brown, H 7, forms dodecahedrons, conchoidal fracture
Garnet
Poor
Brick red
Dull Red or silvery, H 1 – 6, can be weakly magnetic
Hematite
Poor/Absent
No streak
Pale to dark olive green, yellow or brown, H 7, may resemble sand grains, conchoidal fracture, used as a gemstone
Olivine
Good
White
White, gray or black, H 6, striations, tabular grains
Plagioclase feldspar
Good
White
Mainly pink, white can be green and orange, H 6, exsolution lamellae
Potassium
feldspar
Good
White to pale gray
Dark green, brown to black, H 5.5-6, cleavage at 90o, form short 8-sided prisms
Pyroxene
Poor
No streak
Many colors: white, rose, purple, blue, green, smoky, H 7.0, conchoidal fracture
Quartz
<5.5
Good
Gray-brown to white
Black-?brown, green-black, H 2.5 – 3, thin sheets
Biotite
Good
White
Transparent, white, yellow, H 3, effervesces in acid
Calcite
Good
White
Many colors including green, yellow, purple, gray, blue, H 4, cubic
Fluorite
Good
Gray
Silvery gray, H1.0, rubs off on hands
Graphite
Good
White
Transparent, white, gray, H 2, forms blades, prisms or tabular crystals
Gypsum
Good
White
Many colors: white, blue, yellow, brown, red, transparent, H 2.5, cubic, salty taste
Halite
Good
White
Transparent, light brown, H 2 – 2.5,thin sheets
Muscovite
Poor
Pale yellow
Waxy yellow or red, H 1.5 – 2.5, smells like rotten eggs
Sulfur
Poor/Absent
White
White, green, gray, brown, H 1, greasy or soapy feel
Talc
Mineral Number
Luster
Hardness
Fracture/Cleavage
Streak
Other Properties
1
non-metallic
<5.5
poor/absent
White
White, green, gray, brown, H 1, greasy or soapy feel
2
non-metallic
<5.5
good
White
Many colors: white, blue, yellow, brown, red, transparent, H 2.5, cubic, salty taste
3
non-metallic
<5.5
good
White
Many colors including green, yellow, purple, gray, blue, H 4, cubic
4
metallic
<5.5
good
Gray
Dark silver-gray to black, H 1, can form sheets
5
non-metallic
<5.5
poor
Pale Yellow
Waxy yellow or red, H 1.5 – 2.5, smells like rotten eggs
6
non-metallic
<5.5
good
White
Transparent, white, gray, H 2, forms blades, prisms or tabular crystals
7
metallic
>5.5
poor
Dark Gray
Dark silvery gray to black, H 6 to 6.5, magnetic
8
non-metallic
<5.5
good
White
Transparent, white, yellow, H 3, effervesces in acid
9
non-metallic
>5.5
poor
No Streak
Many colors: white, rose, purple, blue, green, smoky, H 7.0, conchoidal fracture
10
metallic
<5.5
good
Gray- dark gray
Bluish-?silver, cubic, H 2.5, dense
11
metallic and non-metallic
>5.5
Poor
Brick red
Dull Red or silvery, H 1 – 6, can be weakly magnetic
12
metallic
>5.5
Good
White to pale gray
Brassy yellow, H 6 – 6.5, cubic
13
non-metallic
>5.5
Good
White
White, gray or black, H 6, striations, tabular grains
14
non-metallic
>5.5
Good
White
Mainly pink, white can be green and orange, H 6, exsolution lamellae
15
non-metallic
<5.5
Good
Gray-brown to white
Black-?brown, green-black, H 2.5 – 3, thin sheets
16
non-metallic
<5.5
Good
White
Transparent, light brown, H 2 – 2.5,thin sheets
17
non-metallic
>5.5
Good
White to pale gray
Dark green, brown to black, H 5.5-6, cleavage at 90o, form short 8-sided prisms
18
non-metallic
>5.5
Poor/Absent
No streak
Pale to dark olive green, yellow or brown, H 7, may resemble sand grains, conchoidal fracture, used as a gemstone
19
non-metallic
>5.5
Good
White to pale gray
Dark gray to black, H 5.5-6, 56o and 124ocleavage, forms prisms
20
non-metallic
>5.5
Poor
No streak
Red, yellow, black or brown, H 7, forms dodecahedrons, conchoidal fracture
Minerals – Google Drivehere is the link that includes the all of the rocks you can see.
