Properties of Minerals

What is the best definition of a mineral?

• living, organic, naturally formed substance

• non-living, organic substance

• solid, organic substance

• naturally formed, inorganic, solid

____________ are characteristics of minerals that can be observed or measured.

• physical properties

• chemical composition

• external properties

• internal properties

The way a surface (of a mineral) reflect light is called ________.

• Cleavage

• Streak

• Luster

• Reflection

What are the two types of luster?

• Metallic and Dull

• Nonmetallic and Shiny

• Metallic and Nonmetallic

• Shiny and Dull

It refers to a mineral's resistance from being scratched.

• color

• cleavage

• hardness

• breakage

Moh’s scale of hardness ranks minerals from 1 which is the _______________ to 10 which is the ________________.

• softest, hardest
• hardest, softest

Equant, platy, tabular and plated are example of which property of mineral?

• luster

• habit

• cleavage

• hardness

Which property is observed as the outside appearance of a mineral?

• streak

• hardness

• color

• specific gravity

The color of the powdered form of a mineral found by rubbing a mineral against a white tile is called __________.

• Luster

• Cleavage

• Streak

• Fracture

The tendency for a mineral to split along specific planes of weakness to form, smooth flat surfaces.

• Cleavage
• Fracture
• Crystallization
• Fracture