Mineral Properties

Front

What is the streak test in mineral identification?

Back

The streak test involves rubbing a mineral on a porcelain plate to observe the color of its powder, which helps identify the mineral.

Front

What does the term 'hardness' refer to in minerals?

Back

Hardness refers to a mineral's resistance to being scratched, measured on the Mohs scale.

Front

What is 'cleavage' in mineral properties?

Back

Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat, even surfaces.

Front

Define 'luster' in the context of minerals.

Back

Luster describes how light reflects off the surface of a mineral, indicating its shine or brilliance.

Front

Why is color not a reliable property for identifying minerals?

Back

Color can vary due to impurities and environmental factors, making it an unreliable identifier.

Front

What is the Mohs scale?

Back

The Mohs scale is a scale from 1 to 10 used to rank the hardness of minerals.

Front

How can you test a mineral's luster?

Back

You can test a mineral's luster by observing how shiny or dull its surface appears under light.

Front

What is the difference between 'fracture' and 'cleavage'?

Back

Fracture refers to how a mineral breaks irregularly, while cleavage refers to breaking along specific planes.

Front

What is an example of a mineral with high hardness?

Back

Diamond is an example of a mineral with high hardness, rated 10 on the Mohs scale.

Front

What does 'specific gravity' mean in mineralogy?

Back

Specific gravity is the ratio of a mineral's density compared to the density of water.