PHY 205L M2 Mineral Property Identification Lab Report

Mineral Property Identification Amber Smith 1/20/2024

1 Data Activity 1 Data Table 1 Mi ne ral # Lust er Color Stre ak Col or Relative Hardnes s Cleavag e or Fracture Reactio n to Acid Magnetis m Tenacit y Uniqu e Feel or Smell Miner al Name 1 NM White/ green Whit e 3-5.5 Cubic None no Malleable Smooth Fluorite 2 NM Red/ brown Whit e >7 Around 90 degrees None No Brittle Smooth but many angles feldspar 3 NM Red/ brown Red 2.5-3 Not seen None No Malleable Rough Hematit e 4 M Brass gold Black 5.5-7 Conchoidal None No Brittle Bumpy Pyrite 5 NM White Whit e >7 conchoidal None No Brittle bumpy quartz 6 NM white Whit e 2.5-3 conchoidal Bubbles No Malleable Smooth calcite 7 NM gray None 5.5-7 Not seen None No Brittle Glassy feel Quartz © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

2 Mi ne ral # Lust er Color Stre ak Col or Relative Hardnes s Cleavag e or Fracture Reactio n to Acid Magnetis m Tenacit y Uniqu e Feel or Smell Miner al Name 8 M black Black >7 Not seen None Yes Malleable Smooth Mangeti te 9 NM white Whit e <2.5 Not seen None No Malleable Alabast er 10 NM gray Whit e <2.5 One direction None No Malleable Talc 11 NM clear Whit e <2.5 One direction None No Brittle Halite 12 NM black None <2.5 One direction None No flexible Biotite 13 M black Black <2.5 Cubic None No Brittle Greasy graphite 14 NM White/ brown Whit e <2.5 Fibrous None No Malleable Gypsum 15 NM white Whit e <2.5 One direction None No Malleable Smooth see selenite Questions: Answer the following questions to support your understanding of mineral properties. 1) What is the difference between a rock and a mineral? A rock can be made up of more than just a simple mineral. A mineral is the basic building block. 2) What are the requirements to be a mineral? mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic homogeneous solid, with a definable chemical composition and crystalline structure 3) © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

3 4) If your rock or mineral sample reacts with acid (e.g. acetic acid), what type of mineral would that rock or mineral sample likely contain? CAC3 5) Why might color not be the most reliable characteristic when dealing with nonmetallic minerals? Some darker minerals may not be magnetic 6) What mineral do you think is the most important to your life? Why? What is its typical use? I think that quartz is important, it is used to make lots of parts of my house such as the counter tops Photos Insert the photos from Activity 1, step 3b. Photographs should show each mineral with its streak on the corresponding streak plate. © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company

4 © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company