Station1PhysicalProperties

5CLEAVAGEThemannerinwhichthemineraltendstobreakinaspecificdirection.

1.Usethemagnifyingglasstoanalyzethesample’scleavage.

2. Determinethesample’squalityofcleavage(smoothnessinwhichthemineralcleaves)asperfect,imperfect,distinct,good,fair,andpoor.

Station1PhysicalProperties

1COLORCloselyexamineasampleanddetermineitscolor.Note:Thecolortestistheleastreliable.Forexample,themineralsontheright-handsideareallquartz,buttheircolorsaredifferent.

2LUSTERThewayamineralreflectslight.Usethepicturesanddescriptionstoclassifythesample’sluster.Metallic–reflectslightlikemetalAdamantine–reflectslightlikeadiamondVitreous/Glassy–lookslikeglassPearly–likemotherofpearlResinous–theappearanceofdriedpitch,orfiberglassWaxy–theappearanceofsmoothwaxorabrokencandleOily–theappearanceofanoilcoatedsubstanceSilky–theappearanceofsilkclothDull–notshiny,plainorroughsurfaceEarthy–similartosoilorclay

Station1PhysicalProperties

3HARDNESSResistanceofamineraltobeingscratched.

Moh’shardnessscaleiswaytocomparehowhardorsoftmineralsare.Thehigherthenumber,theharderthemineral.

Determinehardnessofsamplebytakinganitemofknownhardnessandscratchingthesample.

Ifthesampleisscratched,thenitissofterthantheitemofknownhardness.Ifnot,thenitisharderthantheitem.

1.Useyourfingernailtotestforhardnessof2.5

2.Usecalcitetotestforhardnessof3

3.Useapennytotestforharnessof3.5

4.Usetotestforhardnessof7

Station1PhysicalProperties

4STREAKColorofpowderedmineral.1. Placeceramicstreakplateonthetableandhold

inplacewithyourhand.

2. Takesampleandscrapethesurfaceofthestreakplate.

3. Isthereastreak?Whatcoloristhestreak?Note:Thecolorofthestreakmaybedifferentthanthecolorofthemineral.

Station2Density

PROCEDUREÞMassthemineralsampleonabalance.

1.Writedownthemassofthemineralsample.

ÞPlace50.0mLofwaterintoa100mLgraduatedcylinder.

2.Writedowntheexactvolumeofwaterinthegraduatedcylinder.

ÞAddthemineralsampletothe100mLgraduatedcylinder.

3.Writedownthevolumeofthewaterplusthemineralinthegraduatedcylinder.

4.Determinethevolumeofthemineral.

5. Calculatedensityofthemineral.

Station3FlameTest

PROCEDURE

1.ObtainanichromewireandcleanthetipwiththeBunsenburnerflame.

2.Dipthewirein

thepre-powderedmineralgettingasmuchofthepowderasyoucan.

3. Placethewirein

theflameandobservewhatcolortheflameturns.

Station4AcidTest

Somemineralscontainacarbonateanion,writtenasCO3-.

Carbonateisanegativelychargedioniccompound.ThepresenceofCO3

-canbetestedforbytheadditionofanacidsuchasaceticacidorhydrochloricacidtothepowderedmineral.Ifthecarbonateanionispresent,thereactionbetweentheacidandthecarbonateanionwillbubbleupontheformationofcarbondioxide(CO2)gas.

PROCEDURE

1. Placethepowderedmineralsampleontoawatchglass.2. Addacoupledropsof1MHydrochloricAcidontothe

powderedmineralsample.3.Observeforchemicalreactions.