Rocks and Minerals

What property of rock is being observed when looking for what color is left after scratching it on a ceramic plate?

• hardness

• color

• cleavage

• streak

What property of rock is being observed when looking at its hue or shade?

• streak

• hardness

• color

• luster

What is Hardness?

• The tendency of a mineral to split easily along flat surfaces.

• A measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched.

• The way a mineral shines, or reflects light.

What is Luster?

• The color of a mineral when it is ground into a powder.

• A measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched.

• The way a mineral shines, or reflects light.

What is a Mineral?

• nonliving solid material that has a definite chemical make up and is found in Earth's outermost layer.

• measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched.

• way a mineral shines, or reflects light.

What are 3 properties that are used to identify minerals?

• luster, color and sound

• smell, color and hardness

• luster, color and hardness

• luster, smell and hardness

Texture is based on:

• size & shape of a rock's mineral grains

• how/where a rock forms

• the minerals a rock is made up of

How light reflects off of a mineral is called the mineral's 

• luster

• streak

• cleavage

• fracture

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS4-2

A student found a rock in his backyard and wants to figure out whether it is a rock or a mineral. Which is NOT a question that we can ask to identify if the sample is a rock or mineral?

• Is it all one color?

• Could it have a fossil in it?

• Is it smooth or rough?

• How big is it?

The students in Mr. Rowe’s third grade class are observing and classifying minerals. One group has decided they want to group their minerals by luster. Which question will best help the students classify the minerals?

• What color is each mineral?

• Can the mineral be scratched?

• What does the mineral feel like?

• Is the mineral metallic?