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Key Properties for Identifying Minerals: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding the properties used to identify minerals is crucial for geology enthusiasts and professionals. Minerals exhibit distinctive characteristics such as atomic arrangement in orderly patterns, solid structures known as crystals, and specific breaking patterns. Key identification properties include color, streak, luster, hardness (utilizing the Mohs scale), cleavage, fracture, and magnetism. For example, pyrite, or "fool's gold," demonstrates unique golden coloration and crystal formation. By mastering these properties, one can accurately distinguish between different minerals and appreciate their roles in Earth's geology.

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Key Properties for Identifying Minerals: A Comprehensive Guide

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  1. Properties/Tests Describe the properties that are used to identify minerals.

  2. Identifying MineralsProperties • All minerals have an orderly pattern of atoms. The atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern. • Solid materials that have a pattern of atoms are calledcrystals.

  3. Minerals-Earth’s Jewels • Sometimes crystals have smooth growth surfaces called crystal faces. • Example is the mineral pyrite also known as “fools gold”.

  4. Identifying MineralsProperties • Another clue to a minerals identity is the way it breaks. • Cleavage:minerals that split into smooth, regular planes.

  5. Identifying MineralsProperties • Another way it breaks... • Fracture:Minerals that break into pieces with jagged or rough edges.

  6. Identifying MineralsProperties • Color:The reddish-gold color of a new penny shows you that it contains copper. Pyrite has a shiny, gold color similar to real gold

  7. Identifying MineralsProperties • Streak:The color produced by the mineral when it is scraped across tile.

  8. Identifying MineralsProperties • Luster:How light reflects off the surface. • Example: shiny, dull, metallic, pearly

  9. Identifying MineralsProperties http://www.minsocam.org/msa/collectors_corner/article/mohs.htm Hardness: Identify minerals by their hardness. Cross reference with the Mohs scale. Scale of 1 to 10. 1 is a soft gem and 10 is hard.

  10. Identifying MineralsProperties Magnetism- The mineral has the ability to attract certain types of metal.

  11. Section Review • Name five properties that are commonly used to identify minerals. • Color • Luster • Streak • Hardness • Cleavage/Fracture • Magnetism

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