Physical Properties of Minerals

How much a mineral resists scratching is

• Streak

• Fracture

• Hardness

• Cleavage

Which mineral would scratch calcite but not scratch apatite?

• fluorite

• gypsum

• talc

• topaz

Quartz can be scratched by Topaz.

• True

• False

Which mineral could scratch topaz (hardness 8)?  

• Talc (hardness 1)

• Apatite (hardness 5)

• Quartz (harness 7)

• Corundum (hardness 9)

Jorge is studying a sample of the mineral galena. He describes the galena as cubic, gray, metallic, and opaque. Which term describes galena’s luster?​ (a)  

• metallic

• cubic

• gray

• opaque

Whether or not a mineral will float in water is based on its _________.

• Luster

• Hardness

• Cleavage

• Density

The hardest known mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale is:

• Fluorite

• Sypsum

• Topaz

• Diamond

What is the color of a mineral in powdered form called?

• Gas

• Fracture

• Streak

• Liquid

What is the softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale?

• Diamond

• Gypsum

• Topaz

• Talc

Which of the following properties does the Mohs scale measure?

• Luster

• Hardness

• Density

• Streak