• Earth Science Journal!
    Mineral Identification

    Mineral: A natural, inorganic solid with a definite structure and composition.
    1. Solid - not liquid or gas
    2. Naturally Occurring - not made by humans
    3. Definite Chemical Composition - ex: SiO2 = Quartz
    4. Orderly atomic arrangement - atoms are arranged in geometric patterns (crystalline)
    5. Inorganic - not alive, not made from something alive
    Copy down the hardness numbers for the following materials.
    idkit1
    Please take out your reference tables and turn to the back page.
     

    Copy down the following definitions.

    Luster - how a mineral’s surface reflects light (metallic or nonmetallic)
    Streak: the color of the powder of the mineral when scratched on a porcelain plate.
    Hardness - a mineral's resistance to being scratched.
    Cleavage - how a mineral breaks along planes of weakness, creating flat surfaces.
    Fracture - when a mineral breaks irregularly.
    Conchoidal fracture: breaks like glass (sharp edges)

    Luster
    Metallic or Non-metallic
    metallicluster
     
    metallicluster
    pearly
    vitreous
    Cleavage or Fracture
    cleavage
    galenacleavage
    calcitecleavage
    Calcite has rhombohedral cleavage!
    It breaks into rhombus shapes (not at 90 degrees).
    Color
    fluorite
    Fluorite
    Color is not a good way to identify a mineral!
    *The same mineral may be many different colors.
    *Different minerals can be the same color.
    *The color of a mineral can change when it is weathered.
    Streak
    streak
    hemitate
    rubystreak
    Other Characteristics
    calciteacid
    Acid- Calcite and powdered dolomite will effervesce (fizz) in dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl)
    Taste- Halite is rock salt and will taste salty.  Please don't taste the minerals.  I will let you know if it is salty.
    Magnetism- Attracted by a magnet.  Some magnetite will pick up paper clips.
    Fluorescence- some minerals (mostly forms of calcite) will glow in fluorescent colors under black (UV) light.
    Double refraction- some clear forms of calcite (Iceland Spar) will make a double image of words.
     
    doublerefraction

    Tape the classification scheme into your journal.

    mineralid
    Use the above classification scheme to identify the minerals 1-5 by letter.
     
    Mineral Number Mineral Letter
    1  
    2  
    3  
    4  
    5  
     
    Some minerals glow in the dark!
    glowinthedark
    The Silicates!
    Any minerals that are made from the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron
    Look at the back of your reference tables and write down five silicate minerals.
    Talc, Muscovite mica, Biotite mica, Pyroxene, Amphibole, Potassium feldspar, Plagioclase feldspar, Olivine, Quartz, Garnet.
     
    tetrahedron

    Silicon-oxygen tetrahedron The envelope pyramid!
    These are the most abundant minerals on earth, and all are made from the silica-oxygen tetrahedron.
    Silicon_Waffer
    What is this?

    How about this thing?
    shuttletile

    What is this?

    shuttle
    Columbia Disaster!  

    Reflection: Explain the most important things that you learned about classifying minerals.

    Bonus
    Watch the movie NOVA "Origin of Life" and explain how minerals have changed the Earth and are connected to life on Earth.

    Origin of Life - How Life Started on Earth

    https://youtu.be/QE5Js-9AzHo?si=im2NkK10fgFIEKlz

    How did the Earth go from a black Earth to a green Earth?

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    Mineral Number Mineral Letter
    1 D
    2 M
    3 A
    4 O
    5 P