1. Review: Minerals T/F Rocks are found inside minerals
T/F Minerals are always solid
T/F Rocks always have a crystal structure
T/F There are 4 characteristics that make up minerals

2. 5 Physical Properties of Minerals
Color
Streak
Luster
Cleavage
Hardness

3. Color Most minerals have a limited color range
Least accurate way to identify a mineral
Different things cause color to vary
Being at/near Earth’s surface
Defects

4. Streak
The color of the powder left behind when the mineral is scraped across a surface
This method is much better than relying on color
Wulfenite and Rubies are both red, but they have different hardness

5. Luster How it shines: Metallic Non-metallic
Looks like it’s made of metal
Non-metallic
Does not look like a metal

6. Cleavage and Fracture
How it breaks gives us more information than color and luster
Fracture
Breaks into irregular pieces
Bonds are equal in all directions
Cleavage
Breaks along flat surfaces
Weaker bonds
Broken surfaces that are smooth

7. Hardness How resistant the mineral is to being scratched
HARDNESS SCALE
INDEX MINERAL
COMMON OBJECTS 1
Talc 2
Gypsum
Fingernail 2.5 3
Calcite 4
Fluorite
Copper Penny 3 5
Apatite 6
Orthoclase
Glass 5.5
Steel Knife 6.5 7
Quartz 8
Topaz 9
Corundum 10
Diamond
How resistant the mineral is to being scratched
We use Mohs scale that is listed to the side 

8. More info on Hardness
The Moh’s Hardness Scale ranks the order of hardness. For example, your fingernail can scratch the minerals talc and gypsum because those minerals have a hardness of 2 or lower. A copper penny can scratch calcite, gypsum, and talc.
Any mineral can scratch glass as long as it has a hardness > (greater than) 6.