Name: ______Period: ______Date: ______

Mineral Identification Lab

Directions: Answer each of the following short questions and identify the name of the minerals described in the chart below. Refer to the Mineral Identification Key.

Part I: Mineral Search

  1. What is the hardness of graphite?______
  2. What is the color of the streak of limonite? ______
  3. What type of cleavage dobiotite and muscovite have? ______
  4. List the three mineral propertiesused in the key. Put them in order from first to last:

Part 2: Testing Hardness

  1. Try to scratch the penny with your fingernail: Which is harder? ______
  2. Try to scratch the penny with the nail: Which is harder? ______
  3. Try to scratch the glass plate with the nail: Which is harder? ______

*Those minerals that scratch the glass are harder than glass. Those that rub off or leave a streak on the glass are softer than glass. Check carefully to be sure which is left – scratch or streak. (You can check for a groove in the glass by rubbing your fingernail across it)*

  1. Try to scratch the glass with the streak plate: Which is harder?______
  2. List the items you tested in questions 5 through 8from softest to hardest

*** Show your list to your teacher before continuing on*** Teacher initials: ______

  1. Use the Mohs hardness scaleand hardness testing kit (penny, glass, etc.) to determine the hardness of the following minerals from your tray:

#7 ______#9______#10 ______#11______#1 ______#4______

Luster
(metallic or non-metallic) / Hardness / Cleavage/
Fracture
(choose one) / Streak / Color / Mineral
# / MINERAL NAME
Non-metallic / 5 – 6 / Cleavage / Pale Green / Dark-colored / 1
Metallic / 6.5 / No Cleavage / Green-Black / Gold-like / 2
Non-metallic / 1 / Cleavage / White / Light-colored / 3
Non-metallic / 3 / Cleavage NOT @ 90 / White/
Colorless / Light-colored / 4
Metallic / 2.5 / Cleavage / Black / Black/Gray / 5

Part 3: Mineral Key: Now use hardness along with other physical properties to identify the minerals below using the mineral identification key.

Part 4: Identifying Minerals: Test minerals 6 through9 without the minerals key. Use the key for the unidentifiedminerals 10through 15.WORK TOGETHER AND ASK QUESTIONS!

Mineral Name / Luster
(metallic or non-metallic) / Hardness / Cleavage/
fracture
(choose one) / Streak / Color/Other
6.
Halite
7.
Feldspar
8.
Sulfur
9.
Gypsum
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Conclusion Questions: Answer the following questions on a blank piece of paper and attach to this lab when finished.

REMEMBER: You are graded on the quality and accuracy of your work. Like all labs, your responses serve as reference for you and your understanding. Please be thorough, and cite examples from the lab.

  1. What is the distinction between cleavage and fracture?
  2. Explain why color alone is not a reliable means of identifying a mineral.
  3. Name and describe the more reliable process of classifying minerals using the color of a mineral’s powder. Why is this way more reliable?
  4. Explain why hardness is a reliable characteristic to use for identifying minerals. Describe, in detail, the process used to determine a mineral’s hardness. Go through some of the steps.
  5. Pick four minerals from the list of 15 minerals we tested today and describe some of their practicaluses (to make glass, electronic devices, etc.) Use your textbook, the internet, or a different reliable source.