Identifying Minerals

What state of matter are all minerals?

• Solid

• Liquid

• Gas

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

Which mineral property is being shown here?

• luster
• hardness
• cleavage
• streak

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

The ability of a mineral to resist scratching.

• Streak
• Fracture
• Hardness
• Cleavage

Which is NOT a property used for identifying minerals?

• Streak
• Hardness
• Texture
• Specific Gravity

Hardness is a property that helps identify minerals. Scientists use a scale of 1-10 to describe the hardness of a mineral. What number would be given to the hardest?

• 1
• 5
• 6
• 10

The most obvious, but also least useful, property when identifying minerals.

• Streak
• Luster
• Cleavage
• Color

Hardness is a property that helps identify minerals. Scientists use a scale of 1-10 to show the hardness of a mineral. What number would be given to the softest?

• 1
• 3
• 5
• 10

How do you test the hardness of a mineral? 

• Throw it against a wall
• Step on it
• Scratch Test
• Kick it until it breaks

What are the two types of luster? 

• Metallic and Metallic
• Nonmetallic and Shiny
• Metallic and Nonmetallic
• Shiny and Dull

How do you test the streak of a mineral? 

• By rubbing some of the mineral onto a porcelain tile.
• Look for streaks on the mineral.
• Google it. 
• You don't.