Chapter 3 Section 2 Review Questions
Question
1. Compare and Contrast a mineral
fragment
that has one cleavage direction with one
that only has
only fracture.
2. Explain how an unglazed porcelain
tile can be used to identify a mineral.
3. Explain why streak often is more
useful for mineral identification than
color?
4. What hardness does a mineral have if
it does not scratch glass but it scratches
an iron nail?
5. What does the presence of cleavage
planes within a mineral tell you about
the chemical bonds that hold the
mineral together?
Answer
1. A mineral with cleavage breaks along
smooth, flat planes. One that fractures
breaks with uneven or jagged surfaces.
2. A mineral softer than an unglazed
porcelain tile will leave a powdered streak
on the tile. The streak color can help
determine the identity of the mineral.
3. Several different samples of one mineral
may have different colors; however, they
will usually not have the same streak color.
4. Between 4.5 and 5.5
5. Cleavage planes occur when relatively
weak bonds exist within the mineral’s
structure.