Mineral Mystery Lab - Student Handout

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Colorado State University, Fort Collins *

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Course

121

Subject

Geology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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10

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GEOL 121 Name: Lab Section___L01_______________ MINERAL MYSTERY LAB Learning Objectives At the end of this lab students will be able to: ● Observe characteristics of minerals. ● Describe differences in physical properties of minerals ● Use physical properties to identify minerals. ● Develop and produce a system for identifying different minerals via a flow chart. Introduction Ultimately, geology is about storytelling; we can think of the entire Earth’s history as a book, the pages in the book are filled with stories that we developed by looking at the rocks that form our planet. Minerals that make up those rocks help us identify the rocks, so we can tell their stories. We also use minerals in our lives every day, often without even noticing. Minerals are in your cell phone, your car, your countertops (well, some of our countertops anyway) and even your walls. So, not only do minerals help us tell Earth’s story but they also help make our modern lives possible. Minerals come in all shapes, colors, and sizes but they share common characteristics that we can use to sort them into groups. In this lab, you take on the role of a mineralogist by testing various physical properties, sorting minerals into categories with similar characteristics, and then creating a flowchart to use to identify minerals. 1
Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Step 1: Search for clues Observe the grid of minerals in front of you. None of them are currently named - that’s okay! Before we get into labeling, let’s take a close look at each of the minerals. Q1 . What are some physical characteristics that multiple minerals share? What are three different ways that you could divide these minerals into 2–3 groups based on those characteristics? Option 1 Luster Group 1 characteristic: Metallic Group 2 characteristic: submetallic Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): E, J, H, D, I, K Mineral(s): F, C, G, A, L Mineral(s): Option 2 Density Group 1 characteristic: Heavy Group 2 characteristic: Light Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): D, E, I, L, Mineral(s): A, J, K, F, H, G, C Mineral(s): Option 3 Feel Group 1 characteristic: Smooth Group 2 characteristic: Rough Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): L, I, J, K, G, C, B, F Mineral(s): D, E, A, H Mineral(s): Once you have come up with three different ways to divide these minerals into groups based on their physical characteristics, compare the groups you made with the other pair of students in your small group. What groups are the same? What groups are different? Is there more than one valid way to group the minerals? 2
Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Q2 . Take a look at the tools next to your mineral grid. Try out some of these tools on your minerals. Some tools are for getting a closer look at the minerals, some are for scratching the minerals, and some are for checking the streak a mineral makes. The HCl bottle is used to check for effervescence (i.e. a fizz reaction). Are there any similarities between how different minerals interact with particular tools? What are some other ways that you could divide these minerals into 2–3 groups, based on those similarities? Option 1 Acid Test Group 1 characteristic: Effervescent Group 2 characteristic: Non Effervescent Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): G Mineral(s): I, H, A, D, E, K, J, L, B, F Mineral(s): Option 2 Magnetic Group 1 characteristic: Magnetic Group 2 characteristic: Non-Magnetic Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): D Mineral(s): A, B, C, E, F, G, H, I, J,K, L Mineral(s): Option 3 Hardness Group 1 characteristic: Above 3.5 (copper penny) Group 2 characteristic: Below 3.5 (copper penny) Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): K, A, F, I Mineral(s): C, D, E, G, J, H, B, Mineral(s): 3
Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Q3 . Compare the following pairs of minerals and list any differences that you notice between the two. Differences in terms of physical characteristics and differences in terms of interaction with tools are both valid! Mineral A Mineral F -Silky -Multi-colored -More Dense -Not as hard (light scratch on glass 5.5 hardness) -Not translucent -Waxy -Single color -Less dense -Harder (scratches glass deeper) - Translucent Mineral B Mineral J - Glassy - 2.5 hardness - Darker color - More dense -Waxy -3.5 hardness - Light colored - less dense Mineral C Mineral G -Greasy -not effervescent -below 3.5 hardness -Silky - Effervescence -below 3.5 hardness Mineral D Mineral H -magnetic -metallic -more dense -3.5 hardness -not magnetic -waxy -Less dense -2.5 hardness 4
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