Properties of Minerals

This mineral is referred to as "fool's gold," but it is very brittle. It has a metallic luster and is light yellow in color.

According to the table, which mineral is this?

• Gold.

• Copper.

• Quartz.

• Pyrite.

This mineral is the softest and is used in powders. It is found mostly in metamorphic rock and is also called "soapstone."

According to the table, which mineral is this?

• Galena.

• Talc.

• Gold.

• Quartz.

This mineral has a hardness of 2.5 - 3, is used in wires, coins, and pipes, and leaves a cooper or red streak.

According to the table, which mineral is this?

• Gold.

• Galena.

• Copper.

• Talc.

Based on what you have learned, quartz, diamond, topaz and _______________ are all examples of minerals.

• Sand.

• Steel.

• Granite.

• Talc.

On the Mohs Hardness Scale, a mineral with a lower number on the scale can:

• Be used to cut glass.

• Scratch a mineral with a higher number on the scale.

• Resist being scratched by other material.

• Be scratched by minerals with a higher number on the scale.

This mineral is the hardest known substance to man; is used in cutting jewelry, and as a cutting instrument.

According to the table, which mineral is this?

• Diamond.

• Quartz.

• Pyrite.

• Talc.

Which mineral property is identified by the color of the powder left behind when the mineral is rubbed across a rough surface?

• Hardness.

• Streak.

• Luster.

• Color.

Students have a rock sample that may contain the mineral hematite. They know that hematite has a red or rusty streak. How can the students determine the color of the streak in the rock sample?

• Use a rock with the known mineral to strike, or hit the sample.

• Rub the sample on a piece of clay tile.

• Use a file to break off a piece of the sample.

• Scratch the sample with an iron nail.

A student has a mineral sample. He wonders if the sample is the mineral mica. He knows the cleavage pattern of mica is a smooth, flat sheet. The student can best find out the cleavage pattern of the sample by:

• Shining a light on the mineral.

• Soaking the mineral in water.

• Rubbing a penny against the mineral.

• Breaking off a piece of the mineral.

What can you infer about graphite from the fact that you can scratch it with just your fingernail?

• It's not very lustrous.

• It's not very hard.

• It's streak is black - colored.

• It has fracture.