Chapter 3
Name:__________________________
Mineral Lab Review Worksheet
Period:___________
Complete each of the following questions using your notes and book as a guide.
1. Why is color not always a reliable way of identifying a mineral?
2. What property do minerals that glow under ultraviolet light display?
3. Identify one unique property for each of the following minerals...
a. Calcite:_______________________
b. Halite:_______________________
c. Fluorite:______________________
_________________________4. What type of fracture pattern has a curved surface?
5. What are the two types of luster? What type of specific luster does quartz have?
6. What is a mineral?
7. Why may the surface of a mineral be a different color than the interior of the mineral?
8. Will a mineral leave a streak on a plate if it has a hardness of 9? Why or why not?
_____________________9. What mineral fizzes in hydrochloric acid and creates a double image?
_____________________10. The tendency of a mineral to split easily along a flat surface is called _____?
_____________________11. The way a mineral reflects light from its surface is its _____.
_____________________12. What group does a mineralologist classify a mineral if it is made of silicon and oxygen?
_____________________13. True or False-Diamond will leave a streak on a black streak plate?
_____________________14. An easily noticed property that is not reliable to use for mineral identification is _____.
_____________________15. A mineral has _____ when it breaks unevenly or leaves a jagged edge.
_____________________16. What property of a mineral does this statement describe? “A fingernail can scratch
muscovite mica.”
_____________________17. What property of a mineral does this statement describe? “Calcite leaves a colorless
powder when rubbed across unglazed ceramic tiles.”
_____________________18. Because of factors such as weathering and impurities, _____ usually is NOT a reliable
indicator of a mineral’s identity.