Table of Contents
Can minerals be identified by characteristic physical properties?
Most minerals can be characterized and classified by their unique physical properties: hardness, luster, color, streak, specific gravity, cleavage, fracture, and tenacity.
Can you identify a mineral just by looking at it?
Minerals are identified on the basis of their physical properties, which have been described in the the previous section. To identify a mineral, you look at it closely. At a glance, calcite and quartz look similar. Both are usually colorless, with a glassy luster.
Which properties of minerals are tested to determine what kind they are?
Properties that help geologists identify a mineral in a rock are: color, hardness, luster, crystal forms, density, and cleavage. Crystal form, cleavage, and hardness are determined primarily by the crystal structure at the atomic level. Color and density are determined primarily by the chemical composition.
How would you test each physical property of minerals?
The physical properties of minerals are determined by the atomic structure and crystal chemistry of the minerals. The most common physical properties are crystal form, color, hardness, cleavage, and specific gravity. One of the best ways to identify a mineral is by examining its crystal form (external shape).
How are the physical properties of a mineral determined?
Minerals can be identified by their physical characteristics. The physical properties of minerals are related to their chemical composition and bonding. Some characteristics, such as a mineral’s hardness, are more useful for mineral identification.
Can a color be used to identify a mineral?
Color is a fairly reliable indicator in the opaque and metallic minerals like the blue of the opaque mineral lazurite or the brass-yellow of the metallic mineral pyrite. In translucent or transparent minerals, however, color is less reliable as an identifier because it is usually the result of a chemical impurity.
How can you tell if a mineral is magnetism?
Another way to test magnetism is to see if your specimen attracts a compass needle. Taste can be used to identify evaporite minerals (minerals formed by evaporation) like halite or rock salt because they have distinctive tastes. Borax, for instance, tastes sweet and slightly alkaline.
What do you need to know about rocks and minerals?
To understand rocks you need to become familiar with minerals and how they are identified. This outcome gives you the background needed to understand the terms used in identifying minerals. This section will introduce you to minerals. You will learn the various techniques used by geologists to identify and classify minerals.