Minerals and Their Properties
Materials:
 Mineral samples
 Penny
 Periodic Table
 Plate Tectonics
Objectives:
 Use physical properties to classify minerals.
 Recognize the importance of chemical formulas.
 Make inferences from direct and indirect evidence.
 Represent the natural world using
and Recycling
notes
 Steel nail
 Streak plate
models.
46.6%
Background:
Remember that atoms make up
elements. Elements combine to form
minerals, which have a definite chemical
structure. There are nearly 4000
minerals, but only a few make up the
rocks in the crust of the earth. Of the
minerals that form rocks, only eight
elements compose them! The pie chart
shows the elements of the earth’s crust
and their percent abundance.
Minerals are used as resources and in
everyday life. Makeup, watches,
eyeglasses, foods and many other
useful materials are made of minerals.
Ores are metallic or non-metallic
minerals that can be mined for profit.
Gemstones are minerals used for
jewelry.
All Others1.7%
2.1%
2.6%
27.7%
3.6%
5%
2.8%
8.1%
Set Up:
Each group will require the following mineral samples: quartz, olivine, galena, pyrite, halite,
hematite, magnetite, calcite (You may substitute depending on samples available at your
campus. It is best to select samples with only 3 elements in the chemical formula.)
Note: an extra box has been provided on the student page for additional mineral samples.
Analysis Questions:
Which mineral’s formula contains the greatest number of atoms? Magnetite—7 atoms
Which two elements are the most abundant in the earth’s crust? Silicon and Oxygen
Which of the elements making up Earth’s crust are metals? All but Oxygen
Compare hematite and magnetite. Use the physical properties as well as the chemical
formula in your answer. Both contain Iron, belong to the same group, have about the
same hardness. The two minerals are different colors.
5. Do minerals of the same mineral group have similar properties? The oxides are metallic,
while the silicates are all non-metallic
6. Compare the chemical formulas of the metallic and non-metallic minerals. (Use the periodic
table to help in your comparison.) The metallic minerals have a heavy metal, while the
non-metallic have lighter metals. Both have Oxygen
7. Which minerals would you expect to rust? The minerals containing iron.
8. Which minerals would be harder than a diamond? All would be softer
9. Which minerals would be softer than Apatite? Calcite, Galena, Halite
10. Could Calcite scratch Topaz? Yes, topaz is 8 on the hardness scale
1.
2.
3.
4.
__Calcite__________
Formula: CaCO3
Hardness: 3.0
Cleavage: yes
Luster: non-metallic
Streak: white
Mineral Group: carbonates
____Galena__________
Formula: PbS
Hardness: 2.5
Cleavage: yes
Luster: metallic
Streak: gray/black
Mineral Group: Sulfites
____Pyrite__________
Formula: FeO2
Hardness: 6.5
Cleavage: no
Luster: metallic
Streak: green/black
Mineral Group: oxides
____Olivine__________
Formula: Mg2SiO2
Hardness: 6.5-7.0
Cleavage: yes
Luster: non-metallic
Streak: white
Mineral Group: silicates
____Halite__________
Formula: NaCl
Hardness: 2.5
Cleavage: yes
Luster: non-metallic
Streak: white
Mineral Group: salts
____Magnetite__________
Formula: Fe3O4
Hardness: 5.5-6.0
Cleavage: no
Luster: metallic
Streak: black
Mineral Group: oxides
____Hematite__________
Formula: Fe2O4
Hardness: 6.5
Cleavage: no
Luster: metallic
Streak: red/brown
Mineral Group: oxides
____Quartz__________
Formula: SiO2
Hardness: 7.0
Cleavage: no
Luster: non-metallic
Streak: white
Mineral Group: silicates
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
Mineral Group:
Minerals and Their Properties
Objectives:
 Use physical properties to classify minerals.
 Recognize the importance of chemical formulas.
 Make inferences from direct and indirect evidence.
 Represent the natural world using
models.
Background:
Remember that atoms make up elements.
Elements combine to form minerals, which
have a definite chemical structure. There
are nearly 4000 minerals, but only a few
make up the rocks in the crust of the earth.
Of the minerals that form rocks, only eight
elements compose them! The pie chart
shows the elements of the earth’s crust
and their percent abundance.
Minerals are used as resources and in
everyday life. Makeup, watches,
eyeglasses, foods and many other useful
materials are made of minerals. Ores are
metallic or non-metallic minerals that can
be mined for profit. Gemstones are
minerals used for jewelry.
46.6%
All Others1.7%
2.1%
2.6%
27.7%
3.6%
2.8%
5%
8.1%
Procedure:
1. Construct a model to represent a molecule of each mineral sample. Do this by using
the chemical formulas for each mineral in Table A. Use a penny as a template for
each atom. Color each element a different color.
2. Write the name of each mineral and its chemical formula in the spaces provided in
each box.
3. Use your notes, a steak plate and the field hardness test kit to determine the
physical properties of each mineral sample.
Table A
Mineral Name
Calcite
Corundum
Galena
Halite
Hematite
Magnetite
Olivine
Pyrite
Quartz
Chemical Formula
CaCO3
AlO3
PbS
NaCl
Fe2O3
Fe3O4
Mg2SiO2
FeS2
SiO2
Corundum
Formula:
Al2O3
Hardness:
>7
Cleavage:
no cleavage
Luster:
nonmetallic
Streak:
no streak
Al
O
Analysis Questions:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
:
______________
Formula:
Hardness:
Cleavage:
Luster:
Streak:
1. Which mineral’s formula contains the greatest number of atoms?
2. Which two elements are the most abundant in the earth’s crust?
3. Which of the elements making up Earth’s crust are metals?
4. Compare hematite and magnetite. Use the physical properties as well as
the chemical formula in your answer.
5. Do minerals of the same mineral group have similar properties?
6. Compare the chemical formulas of the metallic and non-metallic
minerals. (Use the periodic table to help in your comparison.)
7. Which minerals would you expect to rust?
8. Which minerals would be harder than a diamond?
9. Which minerals would be softer than Apatite?
10. Could Calcite scratch Topaz?