Lab 2 Study of Minerals

Activity 1.1 Minerals: Building Blocks of Rock
1. In your own words, list the 5 characteristics an Earth material must have in order to be considered a mineral.
a. ______________________________
b. ______________________________
c. ______________________________
d. ______________________________
e. ______________________________
2. Check the appropriate boxes to show which of the following items are minerals or not minerals. If not a mineral, explain why it is not.
MINERAL?
YES NO
EXPLANATIONS
Rain water

Quartz

Coal

Silver

Wood

Synthetic diamonds

Halite

Activity 1.2 Luster
1. Examine the luster of the minerals and place the letters that corresponds to the luster exhibited.
Quartz _________
Galena _________
Limonite _______
Gypsum ________
Talc ___________
Native copper _________
2.
LAB REPORT
1. Name the physical property described by each of the following statements.
3. Breaks along smooth planes ______________________________________
4. Scratches glass_________________________________________________
5. Shines like a metal ______________________________________________
6. Scratching produces a red powder _________________________________
7. Looks like broken glass __________________________________________
8. 4. What physical feature most distinguishes biotite mica from muscovite mica? _________________
9. If a mineral can be scratched by a penny but not by a human fingernail, what is its hardness on Mohs scale? ____________________
11. Use the mineral identification key (Fig. 1.24) to identify a mineral that is nonmetallic, dark colored, harder than glass, lacks cleavage, and is green in color. __________________________
9.
12. For each mineral below, list at least one diagnostic property. (Refer to Fig. 1.23 or Fig. 1.24)
a. Halite _____________________________________________
10.
b. Galena ____________________________________________
11.
c. Magnetite _________________________________________
12.
d. Muscovite