Minerals Lab 1 - S24 (1)

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Colorado State University, Fort Collins *

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Course

121

Subject

Geology

Date

Apr 3, 2024

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pdf

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8

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GEOL 121 Name_____________________________- Lab Section__________________ 1 MINERALS LAB 1 Learning Objectives At the end of this lab students will be able to: 1. Observe characteristics of minerals, including color, streak, luster, magnetism, reaction to acid, cleavage and fracture, hardness, and density. 2. Describe differences in physical properties of minerals. 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 making observations and testing various physical properties of unknown minerals.
Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 2 Step 1: Search for clues Observe the set 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 Group 1 characteristic: Group 2 characteristic: Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): Mineral(s): Mineral(s): Option 2 Group 1 characteristic: Group 2 characteristic: Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): Mineral(s): Mineral(s): Option 3 Group 1 characteristic: Group 2 characteristic: Group 3 characteristic (optional): Mineral(s): Mineral(s): 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?
Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 3 Step 2: Observing the Properties of Minerals Each of the table groups is set up as a station examining one or two specific properties of minerals. Rotate through the stations to identify each property for your 12 minerals. When you are finished with all stations check in with your TA for the Demonstration of Understanding. Station 1: Color and Streak Color is among the more obvious qualities of a mineral, yet the color of a mineral may vary considerably depending on slight variations in chemical composition. Some chemical elements can create strong color effects, even when they are present only as trace impurities. Streak is the color of the fine powder of a mineral. Streak is observed by rubbing the mineral across a piece of unglazed porcelain known as a streak plate. Many minerals leave a streak of powder with a diagnostic color. Thus, streak is commonly more reliable than the color of the mineral itself. Use the example kits to investigate mineral color and streak. Then describe the color and streak of each of the unknown minerals. Color Streak Color Streak Mineral A Mineral G Mineral B Mineral H Mineral C Mineral I Mineral D Mineral J Mineral E Mineral K Mineral F Mineral L
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