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LAB: MINERAL IDENTIFICATION CHALLENGE
Use the accompanying tables of physical properties of minerals to help identify several
unknown mineral samples.
You have just found a sample of an unknown, glassy, white, milky mineral.
1. Which of the three mineral ID tables should you use to help ID the specimen?
Even before you test the physical properties of the mineral, you can eliminate some of
the possibilities.
2. Which minerals are no longer in the running metallic, non metallic light or nonmetallic
dark?
Suppose the mineral scratches apatite and is scratched by quartz.
3. List the minerals that are no longer possibilities.
4. List the minerals that the specimen can be.
By rubbing the specimen on the back of a tile, you discover it has a white streak.
5. From # 4, which possibilities have you eliminated?
6. List the minerals that the specimen can be.
The specimen has a mass of 156 grams and a volume of 59.5cc.
7. Calculate the density of the specimen. SHOW ALL WORK INCLUDING FORMULA!
Density
8. Calculating the specific gravity of the specimen? (Hint density of substance divided
by density of water 1g/cc) SHOW WORK!
9. What is the specimen?
LAB: MINERAL IDENTIFICATION CHALLENGE
Use the accompanying tables of physical properties of minerals to help identify several
unknown mineral samples.
You have just found a sample of an unknown, bronzy, yellow, shiny mineral.
1. Which of the three mineral ID tables should you use to help ID the specimen?
Even before you test the physical properties of the mineral, you can eliminate some of
the possibilities.
2. Which minerals are no longer in the running metallic, non metallic light or nonmetallic
dark?
Suppose the mineral scratches Gypsum and is scratched by Flourite.
3. List the minerals that are no longer possibilities.
4. List the minerals that the specimen can be.
By rubbing the specimen on the back of a tile, you discover it has a blackish streak.
5. From # 4, which possibilities have you eliminated?
6. List the minerals that the specimen can be.
The specimen has a mass of 132 grams and a volume of 31.2cc.
7. Calculate the density of the specimen. SHOW ALL WORK INCLUDING FORMULA!
Density
8. Calculating the specific gravity of the specimen? (Hint density of substance divided
by density of water 1g/cc) SHOW WORK!
9. What is the specimen?
LAB: MINERAL IDENTIFICATION CHALLENGE
Use the accompanying tables of physical properties of minerals to help identify several
unknown mineral samples.
You have just found a sample of an unknown, glassy, dark, monoclinic mineral.
1. Which of the three mineral ID tables should you use to help ID the specimen?
Even before you test the physical properties of the mineral, you can eliminate some of
the possibilities.
2. Which minerals are no longer in the running metallic, non metallic light or nonmetallic
dark?
Suppose the mineral scratches Flourite and is scratched by Quartz.
3. List the minerals that are no longer possibilities.
4. List the minerals that the specimen can be.
By rubbing the specimen on the back of a tile, you discover it has a gray streak.
5. From # 4, which possibilities have you eliminated?
6. List the minerals that the specimen can be.
The specimen has a mass of 76.8 grams and a volume of 25.6cc.
7. Calculate the density of the specimen. SHOW ALL WORK INCLUDING FORMULA!
Density
8. Calculating the specific gravity of the specimen? (Hint density of substance divided
by density of water 1g/cc) SHOW WORK!
9. What is the specimen?
LAB: MINERAL IDENTIFICATION CHALLENGE
Use the accompanying tables of physical properties of minerals to help identify several
unknown mineral samples.
You have just found a sample of an unknown, glassy, silicate, mineral.
1. Which of the three mineral ID tables should you use to help ID the specimen?
Even before you test the physical properties of the mineral, you can eliminate some of
the possibilities.
2. Which minerals are no longer in the running metallic, non metallic light or nonmetallic
dark?
Suppose the mineral scratches Horneblend and is scratched by Corundum.
3. List the minerals that are no longer possibilities.
4. List the minerals that the specimen can be.
By rubbing the specimen on the back of a tile, you discover it has a colorless streak.
5. From # 4, which possibilities have you eliminated?
6. List the minerals that the specimen can be.
The specimen has a mass of 84.8 grams and a volume of 32.0cc.
7. Calculate the density of the specimen. SHOW ALL WORK INCLUDING FORMULA!
Density
8. Calculating the specific gravity of the specimen? (Hint density of substance divided
by density of water 1g/cc) SHOW WORK!
9. What is the specimen?