LT: I can define and accurately test
several basic properties of minerals.
Mineral
Name
Color
Name:___________________________
WHAT’S THAT MINERAL?
Period:_________
Streak
Luster
Hardness
Uses & Other Observations
1. Pyrite
2. Galena
3. Hematite
4. Talc
5. Sulfur
6. Halite
HARDNESS
MATERIAL
Color – be sure to examine all the available specimens
Less than 2.5
2.5
Mineral that crumbles on paper
Breaks when scratched by fingernail
Streak – color of the powdered form of a mineral (test
3
Scratched by a copper penny (won’t
scratch penny)
Scratched by a Steel Nail (crumbles
on nail)
Crumbles when rubbed on glass
(mineral can’t scratch the glass)
Scratches glass
About 5
About 6
Greater than 6
1. Start by trying to rub the mineral on paper.
by making a SMALL streak on a porcelain plate)
Luster – the way a surface reflects light (see pg. 8 in
your book) – focus on non-metallic vs. metallic
Hardness – mineral’s resistance to being scratched (you
are measuring the relative hardness of the mineral)
* TESTING THE HARDNESS OF A MINERAL*
2. If the mineral crumbles on paper, the hardness is less than 2.5. If it does not, use each of the next materials
listed in the table above, looking for those clues.
3. Always keep the glass on the table, NOT YOUR HAND. YOU COULD CUT YOURSELF!!!
Mineral Name
Color
Streak
Luster
Hardness
Uses & Other Observations
7. Chalcopyrite
8. Quartz
9. Calcite
10. Chlorite
11. Gypsum
12. Serpentine
13. Copper
14. Fluorite
15. Graphite
16. This is biotite. Look at how it breaks naturally to form book-like sheets. How does this help you understand
what crystalline structure is?
17. Examine this sample of magnetite. What unique property does this mineral have?
Items to know for the lab quiz:
1. 4 characteristics of a mineral (be able to describe and define)
2. Definitions of the 6 basic properties of minerals
3. This lab handout (how to measure hardness, luster, color, streak; safety; uses of minerals – pick 2)