1. How To Identify Minerals…

2. HARDNESS
Mohs hardness scale – ranks ten minerals from softest to hardest. 1 is softest, 10 is hardest. Use the scratch test.

3. COLOR Easily observed physical property
Can only be used to identify minerals that always have their own characteristic color.

4. STREAK Streak is the color of its powder.
Streak color never varies even if colors do.

5. LUSTER Luster describes how a mineral reflects light from its surface.
Terms to describe luster – shiny, glassy, pearly, greasy, earthy.

6. DENSITY Mass in a given space, or mass per unit volume.
To calculate, divide mass by volume.
Density = mass / volume

7. CRYSTAL SYSTEMS
6 groups of crystals based on number and angle of the crystal faces

8. CLEAVAGE and FRACTURE Cleavage: splits easily along flat surfaces
Fracture: breaks apart in an irregular way.

9. Special Properties
There are many special properties that can be used to identify minerals.
Flurescence, chemical reaction, optical properties, radioactivity, taste (don’t use), magnetism