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Understanding Minerals: Characteristics, Properties, and Identification Techniques

Explore the fascinating world of minerals, defining their essential characteristics: natural, inorganic, crystalline, with a definite chemical composition, and solid. Discover the physical properties that aid in their identification, including color, streak, hardness, cleavage, fracture, and luster. Furthermore, delve into specialized properties like magnetism, double refraction, fluorescence, phosphorescence, and piezoelectricity. Learn various identification tests such as hardness and acid tests for carbonates. Gain a comprehensive understanding of minerals, their significance, and how they shape our world.

cathleen-guerrero
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Understanding Minerals: Characteristics, Properties, and Identification Techniques

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  1. Minerals

  2. What is a mineral?Mineral Characteristics shared by all minerals: • 1. Natural • occurs naturally • NOT manmade

  3. What is a mineral? • 1. Natural • 2. Inorganic • Is not alive • Was never alive

  4. What is a mineral? • 1. Natural • 2. Inorganic • 3. Crystalline • Atoms are arranged in an orderly pattern

  5. What is a mineral? • 1. Natural • 2. Inorganic • 3. Crystalline • 4. Definite chemical composition • Chemical formula • SiO2 is Quartz

  6. What is a mineral? • 1. Natural • 2. Inorganic • 3. Crystalline • 4. Definite chemical composition • 5. Solid • Not a gas, not a liquid

  7. How will we remember this? • Natural • Inorganic • Crystalline • Definite chemical composition • Solid

  8. Mineral Characteristics shared by all minerals:Now ICan Define mineralS! • Natural • Inorganic • Crystalline • Definite chemical composition • Solid

  9. B. Physical Properties of Minerals • 1. Color • First impression • Not very reliable because lots of minerals can occur in many different colors

  10. Quartz • Purple Amethyst

  11. Clear • Blue • Green • Purple Fluorite

  12. Physical Properties of Minerals • 1. Color • 2. Streak • The TRUE color of a mineral • Color of a mineral’s powder

  13. Streak Minerals with a hardness greater than “7” usually don’t create a streak on the streak plate because they are harder than the Porcelain tile (unless the streak plate is specially made).

  14. Physical Properties of Minerals • 1. Color • 2. Streak • 3. Hardness • A mineral’s resistance to being scratched • Mohs Hardness Scale from 1-10 Hardness depends on how “tightly packed” the atoms are

  15. Mohs Hardness Scale Softest • Talc • Gypsum • Calcite • Fluorite • Apatite • Potassium feldspar • Quartz • Topaz • Corundum • Diamond Hardest

  16. Physical Properties of Minerals • 1. Color • 2. Streak • 3. Hardness • 4. Cleavage • Splits along definite planes

  17. “Cleav” = to split Cleaver

  18. Physical Properties of Minerals • 1. Color • 2. Streak • 3. Hardness • 4. Cleavage • 5. Fracture • Breaks irregularly, jagged edges

  19. Fracture

  20. Physical Properties of Minerals • 1. Color • 2. Streak • 3. Hardness • 4. Cleavage • 5. Fracture • 6. Luster • How light shines off a mineral • Metallic or Nonmetallic

  21. Metallic Nonmetallic Luster

  22. Physical Properties of Minerals:Used for Identification (I.D.) • Color • Streak • Hardness • Cleavage • Fracture • Luster

  23. C. Special Properties • 1. Magnetism • Attracted to a magnet • Contains IRON, cobalt, or nickel

  24. Special Properties • 1. Magnetism • 2. Double refraction • Looking through it, you see “double” • Ex. Calcite

  25. Special Properties • 1. Magnetism • 2. Double refraction • 3. Fluorescence • Glows under ultraviolet (UV) light

  26. Fluorescence under ultraviolet, UV light

  27. Special Properties • 1. Magnetism • 2. Double refraction • 3. Fluorescence • 4. Phosphorescence • Continues to glow even after the UV light has been removed

  28. Special Properties • 1. Magnetism • 2. Double refraction • 3. Fluorescence • 4. Phosphorescence • 5. Piezoelectric • Electricity is generated from Pressure • Example: Quartz

  29. Piezoelectric (Pressure=Electricity)

  30. Special Properties • Magnetism • Double refraction • Fluorescence • Phosphorescence • Piezoelectric

  31. D. Identification Tests • 1. Hardness • 2. Streak (True Color) • 3. Acid Test • Use hydrochloric acid • Tests for carbonate (calcite)

  32. Caves can form in rocks with calcite, like here in Harrisonburg! Acid in groundwater dissolves the calcite

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