science fair mineral test
Experimental design
eight mineral samples: amethyst, azurite, calcite, lodestone, mica, rose quartz, talc, pyrite
Bottle of vinegar
Cup of lemon juice
Cup (non-reactive: don’t use a metal cup!)
2 Eyedroppers
Magnifying glass
Steel nail
Paper towel
Pencil and paper
Ice pick camera 1. Label your paper across the top in three columns: “Sample,” “Fizz,” and “Powder.”
2. Along the left hand side of the page, under Sample, write the name of each mineral
3. Under the “Fizz” and “Powder” columns, subdivide these columns in half and label “vinegar” and “lemon juice”
4. Measure out vinegar in one cup and lemon juice in another; make sure to measure enough so that you can pick it up with the eyedropper.
5. Put your first mineral on a paper towel and divide it into two pieces.
6. Put a drop of lemon juice on one half and a drop of vinegar on the other. Be consistent about the side you use, for example, always put the vinegar on the left-hand sample and lemon juice on the right-hand sample.
7. Take pictures
8. Look at the samples closely with the magnifying glass. If the vinegar and/or lemon juice is bubbling, write yes in the fizz column and skip the next step. If it doesn’t bubble or fizz, write “no” in the Fizz column under the appropriate acid and go to the next step.
9. If the vinegar or lemon juice didn’t fizz in the step above, attempt to scratch the mineral sample with the steel nail. If the nail won’t scratch the sample, document in the Powder column. If the sample is soft enough to scratch with the nail, there should be some powdered mineral in and around the scratch. Put a drop of vinegar on the powder.
10. Repeat the above step with the lemon juice.
11. Take pictures
12. Now look at each scratched area with the magnifying glass. Record whether it is fizzing or not.
13. Repeat these steps with all of the mineral samples.
14. Record all results.
15. Take pictures of final results.
eight mineral samples: amethyst, azurite, calcite, lodestone, mica, rose quartz, talc, pyrite
Bottle of vinegar
Cup of lemon juice
Cup (non-reactive: don’t use a metal cup!)
2 Eyedroppers
Magnifying glass
Steel nail
Paper towel
Pencil and paper
Ice pick camera 1. Label your paper across the top in three columns: “Sample,” “Fizz,” and “Powder.”
2. Along the left hand side of the page, under Sample, write the name of each mineral
3. Under the “Fizz” and “Powder” columns, subdivide these columns in half and label “vinegar” and “lemon juice”
4. Measure out vinegar in one cup and lemon juice in another; make sure to measure enough so that you can pick it up with the eyedropper.
5. Put your first mineral on a paper towel and divide it into two pieces.
6. Put a drop of lemon juice on one half and a drop of vinegar on the other. Be consistent about the side you use, for example, always put the vinegar on the left-hand sample and lemon juice on the right-hand sample.
7. Take pictures
8. Look at the samples closely with the magnifying glass. If the vinegar and/or lemon juice is bubbling, write yes in the fizz column and skip the next step. If it doesn’t bubble or fizz, write “no” in the Fizz column under the appropriate acid and go to the next step.
9. If the vinegar or lemon juice didn’t fizz in the step above, attempt to scratch the mineral sample with the steel nail. If the nail won’t scratch the sample, document in the Powder column. If the sample is soft enough to scratch with the nail, there should be some powdered mineral in and around the scratch. Put a drop of vinegar on the powder.
10. Repeat the above step with the lemon juice.
11. Take pictures
12. Now look at each scratched area with the magnifying glass. Record whether it is fizzing or not.
13. Repeat these steps with all of the mineral samples.
14. Record all results.
15. Take pictures of final results.