Minerals

Front

What is a unique property of a mineral?

Back

Unique properties of minerals include characteristics such as the ability to write on paper, magnetism, and fluorescence under a black light.

Front

What does the term 'luster' refer to in mineralogy?

Back

Luster describes how minerals reflect light, which can be categorized as metallic, glassy, pearly, dull, etc.

Front

Why is color considered the least useful property for identifying a mineral?

Back

Color can vary widely among different samples of the same mineral and can be influenced by impurities, making it unreliable for identification.

Front

What is meant by 'crystalline structure' in minerals?

Back

Crystalline structure refers to the orderly and repeating arrangement of atoms in a mineral, which can be observed in the form of crystals.

Front

What is hardness in the context of minerals?

Back

Hardness is a measure of a mineral's resistance to scratching, commonly assessed using Moh's scale.

Front

What is the Moh's scale?

Back

The Moh's scale is a scale that ranks minerals based on their hardness, from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).

Front

What tools are commonly used to measure the hardness of a mineral?

Back

Common tools for measuring hardness include a fingernail, a copper coin, a glass plate, and a steel file.

Front

What is the significance of a mineral's streak?

Back

Streak is the color of the powder left when a mineral is scraped across a porcelain plate, providing a more consistent identification method than color.

Front

How does the property of cleavage differ from fracture in minerals?

Back

Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat, even surfaces, while fracture refers to irregular breakage without a defined plane.

Front

What is the definition of a mineral?

Back

A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and a crystalline structure.