Name: _________________________
Mineral Identification
Date: _________________________
Summer Science
Using the Mineral Identification Lab site, you will identify 15 mineral samples. Make sure to fill out the entire table from each
mineral with the appropriate information and then fill in the mineral name. Using the following site for help:
http://facweb.bhc.edu/academics/science/harwoodr/Geol101/Labs/Minerals/Min01.htm. You will only need to do the first 15 rock
samples.
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15
Mineral Name
Color
Streak
Cleavage
Hardness
Luster
Other
Part II: Analysis
1. What are the five characteristics of a mineral?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
2. What is the most easily identifiable property of a mineral?
a. Why is this property the least useful?
3. Why can one mineral scratch another mineral?
a. What would happen if you tried to use calcite to scratch quartz? Explain.
4. What are the two most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust?
5. Diamond and graphite are both made of the same material (carbon) but a diamond is much harder. What characteristic of a
mineral is responsible for this difference?