Name ____________________________
Block _______________
MINERALS HOMEWORK
What is a Mineral?
Textbook Pages: 96
Questions to Answer:
1. What five characteristics must a substance possess in order to be
classified as a mineral?
a. ______________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________
e. ______________________________________________
2. What are the two most abundant mineral-making elements?
a. ____________________
b. ____________________
How do Minerals Form?
Textbook Pages: 97
Questions to Answer:
1. How do minerals form from molten rock (magma)?
2. When mineral form in this way, what determines the size of the crystals in
the mineral?
3. Why would the mineral halite be called an evaporate?
Structure of Minerals
Textbook pages: pages 98-99
Questions to Answer:
1. What is a crystal?
2. How many different crystal systems are there?
Identification by Inspection
Textbook Pages: 104-105
Questions to Answer:
1. Why is color usually the least useful property in mineral identification?
2. How can impurities affect mineral color?
3. What is luster?
Two main classifications of luster are metallic (looks like metal) and
nonmetallic (does not look like metal). Nonmetallic is further divided into (but
not limited to):
Vitreous – looks like glass
Adamantine – brilliant like diamond
Resinous – looks like resin or tree sap
Greasy or Wax – looks like grease or wax
Pearly – looks like a pearl
Silky – looks smooth like silk
Dull or earthy – looks like dirt
4.What is the luster of each of the following common minerals? (hint: use the
text)
a. quartz
b. mica
c. diamond
d. galena
e. sulfur
f. hornblende
Identification by Testing
Textbook Pages: 100, 102, 105-107
Questions to Answer:
1. What property, defines as the tendency to break along definite planes, is
determined by crystal structure?
2. If a mineral does not break along definite planes, it is exhibiting what
property?
3. What is hardness?
4. Use the minerals diamond and graphite to explain how hardness depends
of crystal structure.
5. What is streak?
6. How is streak tested?
7. Describe, in general, the streak of metallic and nonmetallic minerals.
8. What is Mohs Scale?
9. What is specific gravity?
10. What does specific gravity tell you about the density of the mineral?
11. Do you remember…what is the formula for determining density?
Special Properties of Minerals
Textbook Pages: 107
Questions to Answer:
1. What is double refraction?
2. What variety of calcite exhibits this special property?
3. When do we see minerals exhibit fluorescence?
4. What is the special property of magnetite?
5. What mineral could be tested with acid?
Mineral Groups
Textbook Pages: 108-111
Materials: Textbook, Periodic Table
Questions to Answer:
1. What are the four major groups of minerals (as described by your
textbook…look at the red subtitles)?
a. ___________________________
b. ___________________________
c. ___________________________
d. ___________________________
2. What is the most abundant mineral group?
3. What percentage of the Earth’s crust does this mineral group comprise?
4. What are the two components of quartz?
5. List five other silicate families mentioned in your textbook.
a. _____________________
b. _____________________
c. _____________________
d. _____________________
e. _____________________
6. What is a carbonate?
7. What is an oxide?
8. What is a sulfide?