WHAT IS A MINERAL?

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WHAT IS A MINERAL?

• 5 essential components of a definition
• NATURAL produced by natural processes
• INORGANIC no Carbon-Hydrogen bonds
• CRYSTALLINE repeated internal pattern
• SOLID
• LIMITED RANGE of chemical composition

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MINERAL ID COLOR

• not always dependable for identification purposes
• many minerals have various colors depending on
  the impurities they contain

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MINERAL ID STREAK

• color of powder left behind when mineral is drawn
  over an unglazed white ceramic tile
• more reliable than overall color

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MINERAL ID LUSTER

• the degree to which light is reflected by its
  surface

• Metallic
• Greasy
• Resinous
• Vitreous (glassy)

• Dull
• Silky
• Pearly

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MINERAL ID BREAKAGE

• Cleavage tendency to break along flat surfaces
• Fracture tendency to break along irregular
  surfaces

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MINERAL ID HARDNESS

• ability to resist abrasion or scratching
• Mohs scale a hierarchy of minerals each of which
  can scratch the previous one in the scale and can
  be scratched by the one following it.

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Talc 1
Gypsum 2
Calcite 3
Flourite 4
Apatite 5
Feldspar 6
Quartz 7
Topaz 8
Corundum 9
Diamond 10
Fingernail (2.5) Copper Penny (3.5) Iron Nail
(4.5) Glass (5.5) Steel File (6.5) Streak Plate
(7.0)
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MINERAL ID MISC. PROPERTIES