Part 1: Recording Observations

In the chart below, record your observations of each test for the seven minerals. After you have completed all tests, name the minerals in Part 2 of this worksheet. An example of how to fill out the chart is illustrated below.

|Recorded Observations for Minerals 1–7 |
|Tests |Example |Mineral 1 |
|Example: Fluorite |80% certain |I am almost certain this mineral is fluorite, but I am not completely sure. Fluorite and gypsum|
| | |are both white, shiny, have white streaks, cleave, and show no reaction to acid. However, the |
| | |specific gravity of this mineral is 3.18, which is higher than gypsum, so I am pretty sure it |
| | |is fluorite. |
|Mineral 1: Pyrite |95% |I’m almost certain this mineral is Pyrite. Pyrite is Fool’s Gold and this looks it. This is |
| | |also the only gold mineral with a black streak and shiny specs. |
|Mineral 2: Talc |50% |This is the mineral I was having the most trouble with. It looks gold in color but it’s not |
| | |pyrite because pyrite has a black streak and this one has a white streak. I did a process of |
| | |elimination and came up with Talc for this mineral. |
|Mineral 3: Calcite |95% |I’m almost certain this mineral is Calcite because it is the only mineral I tested to actively |
| | |fizz. |
|Mineral 4: Orthoclase Feldspar |90% |I’m almost certain this mineral is Orthoclase Feldspar. Orthoclase Feldspar and Corundum are |
| | |both pink but Corundum is transparent and K-Feldspar is not. |
|Mineral 5: Quartz |90% |I’m almost certain this is Quartz because the other white minerals can be scratched with a |
| | |penny and this one cannot. |
|Mineral 6:Gypsum |90% |I’m almost certain this is Quartz because the other white minerals can be scratched with a |
| | |penny and this one cannot. |
|Mineral 7: Graphite |80% |I’m not sure if this is Graphite. The only mineral that is black is graphite but my test wasn’t|
| | |clear on the acid fizzing. |

Part 3: Summary

Write a summary answering the following: What are the four requirements for a material to be classified as a mineral? How do you differentiate between minerals? Briefly summarize the six methods to tell minerals apart. Summarize the major differences between minerals and rocks.

The four requirements for a material to be classified as a mineral are: 1) Must be solid 2) Must have a crystalline structure 3) Must be naturally occurring 4) Must be made up of the same substance

To tell the difference between minerals you need to look at the physical properties of a mineral. These properties include: color, streak, luster, hardness, cleavage, specific gravity, crystal form, acid, and others.

The six methods to tell minerals apart are 1) Acid test = is there a light, strong, or no fizzing reaction to the acid 2) color= white, black, green, pink, or gold 3) streak= black, brown, white, or red. This tests the powder color of the mineral 4) luster= dull, pearly, shiny 5) weight = gravity test 6) hardness= this is a scratch test mineral against a penny and a file.
The differences between minerals and rocks are a mineral is a naturally-occurring inorganic crystalline solid with a specific chemical composition and a characteristic internal regular geometric arrangement of atoms, sometimes expressed as natural crystal faces. A rock is an aggregate of one or more mineral particles formed through either crystallization of igneous rocks, settling of particles, or reheating and pressure applied to pre-existing rocks, with no set chemical composition or atomic structure.

References

http://www.answers.com/Q/6_methods_to_tell_minerals_apart http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_rock_and_a_mineral https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090301172844AADNpdM
http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/gladasked/gladindentify.htm