1. Minerals and Mineral Identification By Mr. King

2. What is a mineral? Inorganic Inorganic Naturally occurring Naturally occurring Crystalline structure Crystalline structure Chemical composition Chemical composition Distinct physical properties Distinct physical properties

3. Mineral properties Color Color Luster Luster Habit (Shape) Habit (Shape) Cleavage & Fracture Cleavage & Fracture Streak Streak Hardness Hardness Other Other

4. Color: Not mineral specific

5. Luster: How minerals reflect light Non- metallic Metallic

6. Mineral Habit (Shape) Shape a mineral takes if grown unimpeded

7. Cleavage Cleavage is the breakage along planes that cut across weak bonds, thus cleavage in controlled by the minerals atomic structure EG: rhombohedral calcite

8. Fracture Fractures occur in minerals whose bond strengths are the same in all directions thus breakage doesnt follow a crystallographic direction, but follows an irregular surface. EG: conchodial fracture in quartz

9. Cleavage

10. There is a visual difference between the cleavage and fracture in a mineral... Just wait

11. Streak: The powdered form of a mineral

13. Other Properties Specific gravity Specific gravity Reaction to acid Reaction to acid Striations Striations Magnetism Magnetism Fluorescence Fluorescence