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Learning Objectives
a. I can describe how much minerals are part of our daily lives.
b. I can describe minerals as a life-long hobby.
c. I can describe the importance and use of minerals to human
development.
d. I can develop a systematic way of identifying minerals.
A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with orderly
crystalline structure and a definite chemical composition. These are the
basic building blocks of rocks.
W h a t a b o u t
WATER?
Do you consider water a mineral? How about snowflake or tube ice?
Chemical Composition
Luster
Hardness
Color
Streak
Crystal Form / Habit
Cleavage
Specific Gravity
Other Properties
Name HALITE (TABLE SALT)
PROS CONS
Easy to do the test The scale is qualitative and not
quantitative
Can be done anywhere, anytime as long Cannot be used to test accurate
as the place is not dark hardness of
industrial materials
Mohs scale is highly relevant for field
geologists to roughly identify minerals
using scratch kits
Can be done without or few kits – handy
THE DIFFERENT MINERAL PROPERTIES
4. Crystal Form/Habit
5. Cleavage
2. Which among the following mineral groups, if any, contain silicon: halides, carbonates
or sulfides? Explain.
Answer: None. The identified mineral groups are non-silicates
3. Which is more abundant in the Earth’s crust: silicates or all the other mineral groups
combined? Explain.
Answer: Silicates. Silicon and oxygen are the main components of silicates and
these are the two most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust.
4. An unknown opaque mineral has a black streak and has a density of 18g/cm3. Is the
mineral metallic or non-metallic?
Answer: The mineral is more likely to be metallic because it is opaque and metallic
minerals are usually heavy and with dark streaks.
5. What is the difference between a mineral's streak and color? Why is streak more reliable
for rock identification?
Answer: Streak is the color of a mineral in powdered form. It is more reliable because
it is inherent to most minerals. Color is not reliable because mineral can be formed
with varieties of color, an effect of impurities and weathering.
7. Is it possible for a mineral to have a prismatic habit without having any cleavage? Why or
why not? If yes, give an example.
Answer: Yes, the prismatic habit is simultaneously developed while the mineral is
growing. During the process, there is no repetitive plane of weakness being created
which makes the mineral break only by fracturing. An example of this scenario is
quartz.
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