Common Rock-Forming Minerals

Using their Physical And

Chemical Properties
Quartz
 It is pure or nearly pure silica
 Hard and glassy minerals
 Transparent to translucent in nature and its
colour varies from white and grey to smokey.
 It does not have a cleavage and thus does not
break into regular flat faces.
 Hardness = 7
 Specific Gravity = 2.66
Feldspar
 It is silicates of alumina, with alkaline substances like potassium, sodium
and calcium.
 Its appearance is not so glassy as that of Quartz and is dull to opaque
with a porcelain-like appearance.
 A stone readily meets the decay if it contains large proportions of
feldspar mixed with other minerals.
 Hardness = 6
 Specific Gravity = 2.5 to 2.7
Mica
 It contains silicates of aluminium with potassium.
 It is soft and readily affected by atmosphere and chemicals.
 It has perfect cleavage, causing it to easily break into thin
sheets.
 Hardness = 2.5
 Specific Gravity = 3
Hornblende
 Dark coloured mineral found in many
types of igneous and metamorphic
rocks.
 Complex silicate with hardness 5.5 and
specific gravity of 3.2
Calcite
 Leading constituent of
limestone and marble.
 Hardness= 3
 Specific Gravity= 2.7
Dolomite
 It is magnesium carbonate with chemical
composition as CaMg(CO).
 Metamorphic rocks like dolomitic marble and few
sedimentary rocks have dolomite as the major
constituent.
 It has three directions of perfect cleavage.
 Moh’s hardness= 3.5 to 4
 Specific Gravity= 2.8 to 2.9
PRACTICE
 1.Hard and glassy minerals has
a hardness of 7 and Specific
Gravity of 2.66?

QUARTZ
 2. It is soft and readily affected by
atmosphere and chemicals and has
perfect cleavage, causing it to easily
break into thin sheets with a hardness
of 2.5 and Specific Gravity of 3.

MICA
 3. Leading constituent of
limestone and marble with has
a hardness of 3 and Specific
Gravity of 2.7
CALCITE
 4. Dark coloured mineral found in many
types of igneous and metamorphic rocks and
it is complex silicate with hardness of 5.5
and specific gravity of 3.2

HORNBLENDE
 5. It is magnesium carbonate with chemical
composition as CaMg(CO) and it has three
directions of perfect cleavage with has
Moh’s hardness of 3.5 to 4 and Specific
Gravity of 2.8 to 2.9

DOLOMITE
6. Its appearance is not so glassy as that of
Quartz and is dull to opaque with a
porcelain-like appearance with has a
Hardness of 6 and Specific Gravity = 2.5 to
2.7.

FELDSPAR
QUARTZ
FELDSPAR
MICA
HORNBLENDE
CALCITE
DOLOMITE