What term describes the way light reflects off of a mineral?
Luster
Name five types of luster.
Waxy, pearly, glassy, dull, metallic, nonmetallic all describe types of luster.
What describes the color of a mineral in powdered form?
Streak describes a mineral's color in powdered form.
What color(s) are streak tiles? Why?
Streak tiles can be white or black. If the mineral is light, use a dark streak plate. If the mineral is dark, use a white streak plate.
What measuring tool is used to determine a mineral's hardness? What type of device is used to help with this determination?
Moh's Scale is used to determine a mineral's hardness.
What is the softest mineral on Moh's Scale (1)?
Talc is the softest mineral on Moh's Scale.
What is the hardest mineral on Moh's Scale?
The diamond (10) is the hardest mineral on Moh's Scale.
Why is color not the best indicator of a mineral's identity?
Some minerals occur in multiple colors, and some minerals appear naturally in the same color.
Name two unusual ways to identify minerals.
Unusual ways to identify minerals are to apply acid to it, look through it (double refraction) and another is whether or not the mineral is fluorescent (glows).
List five uses for minerals.
Minerals are used for medicines, fertilizers, jewelry, building materials, cosmetics, cooking materials (pots/pans/glassware), salt.
What causes crystals to have a particular shape?
The structure of the atoms/molecules that make up crystals will give them their shapes.
