ESSE1012_lab2_2024
.doc
keyboard_arrow_up
School
York University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
1012
Subject
Geology
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
doc
Pages
7
Uploaded by AdmiralRiver13558
LE/ESSE 1012 3.0
The Earth Environment
Winter 2024
Lab. Section: M Name: Sadaf Bayat Student Number: 219267475
LAB 2: MINERALS
Due February 2, 2024, 10PM ET
IMPORTANT: This is a hands-on lab. You must attend the lab session in person in order to
receive credit for this lab.
Unless otherwise indicated, show your work for all problems. You can either enter your
answers into this document electronically using a computer or tablet, or you can print this
document, handwrite your answers in the spaces provided, and scan the pages. If you need
additional space, you can insert additional pages or you can add additional space within the
Word document. For all numerical answers, the units should be indicated. Students can
discuss this lab with each other, but copying from each other or copying from other sources is
cheating and is not permitted. You should not share your answer sheets with other students or
look at the answer sheets of other students. You should understand the concepts well enough
to explain your answers in your own words. Your answers for hands-on portions of the lab
should be based on work that you yourself performed in the lab location. If the lab procedure
indicates that you can form groups to complete particular tasks, then you should still be
physically present in the lab location contributing to the completion of those tasks, and you
should write the names of other group members on your answer sheets. If your work relies on
information that is obtained from a legitimate source other than ESSE 1012 course materials,
please indicate the source of that information with enough detail so that someone else can
locate the source. Please see the course outline for detailed policies.
Although there are thousands of known minerals, over 99% of the rocks on Earth are made up
of fewer than 20 minerals. In this laboratory exercise, you will examine the properties of these 'rock
forming' minerals.
The goal of this lab is to have you use the physical properties of crystalline solids to identify
common rock forming minerals. In the process, you will use Tables A.1 and Table A.2 from the
Jarvis text (available on eClass), along with the concepts covered in the lecture and Chapter 7 of the
McConnell text
.
LE/ESSE 1012 Lab 2 - Winter 2024 ©NTandon
Page 1
of 7
1.
COLOUR, STREAK AND LUSTRE
You are provided with the following samples:
Mineral Name
Lustre
Pyrite
Metallic Quartz
Vitreous (glassy)
Kaolinite
Dull Earthy
Talc
Pearly
Examine each sample and be sure that you can recognize each type of lustre before moving
on.
Use the streak plates (made of unglazed porcelain) along with your recently acquired
knowledge of lustre to determine the colour, streak and lustre of the given minerals below.
Non-Silicates:
magnetite
oolitic hematite
limonite
sphalerite
galena
pyrite
Silicates:
kaolinite
amphibole
garnet
a)
Complete the following table from your results (3 marks for each mineral)
Mineral
Colour
Streak
Lustre
Magnetite (#71) Dark gray Black metalic
Oolitic hematite (#75) Brown red brown dull earthy
Limonite (#73) ton brown yellow brown dull earthy
Sphalerite (#66) silver dark gray metalic
Galena (#77) dark gray dark gray metalic
Pyrite (#78) greenish gold greenish gold metalic
Kaolinite (#82) white white dull earthy
Amphibole (#62) gray nothing vitreous
LE/ESSE 1012 Lab 2 - Winter 2024 ©NTandon
Page 2
of 7
Garnet (#67) brown nothing vitreous
b)
Was streak colour useful for all of the minerals? Why or why not? If not, indicate the
lustre(s) of the mineral(s) for which streak was not useful. Was there a particular group
that streak was useful for? (4 marks)
No it was not useful for all of the minerals.
For vitreous lustre was not helpful because we could not see any thing at all. And the minerals
are amphibole and garnet.
Yes for dull earthy and and metallic it was helpful.
c)
Suppose that you encounter a rock sample with earthy lustre, and you wish to determine
its mineral composition. One portion of the rock sample produces a reddish brown streak
and another portion of the rock sample produces a yellowish brown streak. How would
you interpret these results? (4 Marks)
When one comes across a piece of earthy-colored rock, one can deduce the mineral
composition based on the different hues of the streaks. Oolitic hematite (#75), a brown-
colored mineral with a reddish-brown streak and a dull, earthy luster, is most likely the
section of the sample that produced this pattern. Similar to limonite (#73), which likewise
has a dull earthy luster and a ton brown tint, the yellowish-brown streak seen in another area
of the rock sample matches its characteristics. According to the interpretation, the rock
sample may contain minerals like limonite and oolitic hematite, which both have an earthy
luster with matching streak hues. It is recommended that additional analysis be carried out,
including mineral assays for a more accurate determination of the rock sample's mineral
makeup.
d)
Pyrite is commonly known as “fool’s gold” because it has some physical properties
similar to gold. Give two
different physical properties that you would use to identify
pyrite as distinct from gold? (4 Marks)
Because pyrite, also referred to as "fool's gold," resembles gold in some visual aspects, it is
important to distinguish it by its unique physical characteristics. Their different colors are
one of the main things that set them apart. Whereas pyrite usually has a lighter, brassier
yellow color, gold has a rich, deep yellow hue. Even though it is slight, this variation in
pigment is an important feature to consider when evaluating the minerals visually.
Another useful technique for distinction is to take the minerals' hardness into account.
Pyrite is noticeably tougher than gold, which is rather delicate and easily scraped with a
fingernail or knife. A basic hardness test can be used to determine this difference, since
pyrite is harder and gold is more prone to scratches. One can confidently distinguish
pyrite from gold by closely scrutinizing both color and hardness, and so avoid the
misunderstanding that pyrite is "fool's gold."
LE/ESSE 1012 Lab 2 - Winter 2024 ©NTandon
Page 3
of 7
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help