1. What is a mineral?
A mineral is a solid chemical compound that occurs naturally in pure form and
has a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure.
2. Give the physical properties of Identifying a Mineral. Describe each.
-Fracture, rough or irregular surfaces along which the mineral breaks
randomly.
-Specific Gravity, is to measure the ratio of the weight of a mineral to the
weight of an equal volume of water.
-Cleavage, refers to flat planes along which some minerals break.
-Hardness, a measure of its relative resistance to scratching, and measured
by scratching the mineral against another substance of known hardness.
-Tenacity, a mineral's resistance to breaking, bending, or getting deformed.
3. Give the chemical properties of Identifying a Mineral. Describe each.
-Crystal forms the geometric shape of mineral crystals.
-Density is the ratio of its mass to its volume, also It is a measure of how
much stuff is squeezed into the amount of space the mineral occupies.
-lustre, the appearance of a mineral surface in terms of its light-reflective
qualities.
4. Give at least 3 common rock forming minerals. Describe each.
-Garnet, are a group of silica minerals that have been used since the Bronze
Age as gemstones and abrasives
-Calcite, is a carbonated mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium
carbonate
-Quartz, is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica, also it's the most
commonly used mineral in the making of jewellery.