Mineral Properties

A mineral's streak is a more reliable way to classify a mineral than its apparent color.

• True

• False

When a mineral breaks along preferrred planes, it is said to have _________.

• fracture

• cleavage

• breakage

• hardness

What is a mineral's streak?

• The resistance to being scratched

• the color of the mineral in powder form

• the way in which the mineral reflects light

• the way the mineral reacts to hydrochloric acid

Pearly, glassy, dull and earthy are terms used to describe________.

• streak

• color

• luster

• fracture

Most minerals do not split apart evenly. Instead they have a property called ________. This describes how a mineral looks when it breaks apart.

• luster

• streak

• cleavage

• fracture

During the 1800's, miners needed to be able to tell real gold from another mineral, pyrite. To tell them apart, the miners would bite the mineral they found. If they saw a bite mark in the mineral, they knew it was real gold. What property were they testing?

• cleavage

• luster

• hardness

• streak color

You pick up a mineral sample in your hand. It feels heavy compared to most other mineral samples. Which statement best describes your mineral sample?

• it has a low specific gravity

• it has a high specific gravity

• it has a hardness less than 5

• it has a hardness greater than 5

In its powdered form, the mineral hematite is reddish. Which mineral property is described?

• color

• luster

• streak

• hardness

Amethyst is purple quartz. Smoky quartz is black. citrine quartz is yellow or orange. Which property of quartz is described?

• color

• streak

• fracture

• cleavage

The mineral galena tends to break into perfect cubes. Which mineral property does this describe?

• fracture

• cleavage

• crystal habit

• specific gravity