Color, luster, streak, hardness, cleavage, fracture, and crystal form are the most useful physical properties for identifying most minerals. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. The chemical properties comprise chemical formula and the proportion of. Ppt physical properties of minerals powerpoint presentation. Optical properties of minerals 12152009 physical characteristics of minerals i. Your system must have the following characteristics. Some characteristics, such as a minerals hardness, are more useful. You must be sure of the meaning of each of the physical properties. Practical handbook of physical properties of rocks. Minerals and their physical properties patna science. Use the physical properties you can observe inhand sample todevelop the criteria for organizing your classification system. The study of physical properties of minerals will enable you to make intelligent deductions about its crystal structure and chemical composition. Sep 16, 20 the identification of minerals using these physical properties.
Scratched talc by fingernail scratched by penny yellow brown earthy fracture earthy luster, yellow to almost black. Technically not a mineral, as it lacks a crystalline structure. Properties of minerals earth science visionlearning. Mineral physical properties are generally organized in a mineral key and the proper use of this key will allow you to name your unknown mineral sample. Most minerals can be characterized and classified by their unique physical properties. Discussions of these other properties are discussed here below. Physical properties the luster of a mineral is the way its surface reflects light. Pdf file crystallographic calculations pdf file xray crystallography.
Physical characteristics of minerals geology reading. These notes follow nye rather closely, so the reading assignment above will be. It allows them to demonstrate their knowledge of the properties of minerals in a fun and engaging way. Two or more minerals may possess quite different physical properties, such as colour, form, hardness, specific gravity, etc. The physical properties of minerals include name, crystal system, color as it appears to the naked eye, streak by rubbing on streak plate, luster, hardness on the mohs scale, and average specific gravity. It covers mineral and chemical composition of minerals and geothermal fluids.
The physical properties of minerals are related to their chemical composition and bonding. Most minerals have a distinctive color that can be used for identification. Color easy to see but is least reliable property for id many different minerals are same color calcite, quartz, dolomite same mineral can come in many colors quartz can be pink, white, clear, purple, yellow. Refer to appendix 3 in the back of your book or any reference book for properties of common minerals. Physical properties of rocks and minerals edited by robert s.
A mineral s streak is the color of its powder when the mineral is rubbed on a square of porcelain called a streak plate. The physical properties of minerals are a result of a minerals chemical composition and crystalline structure and, therefore, do not change with the size, shape, or occurrence of a mineral. Chapter 6 physical properties of minerals fiu faculty websites. For biaxial minerals we need three, and optic axes are directions that light can travel through a crystal without being split into 2 rays in some uniaxial minerals, the o. The physical properties of minerals are usually classified into colour, streak, transparency, cleavage, luster, form, fracture, density etc. In the past, hydraulic fluids using mineral oils sometimes included such additives as pcbs to improve the thermal resistance or other properties of the resulting fluids. Physical properties of minerals have distinguishing physical properties that in most cases can be used to determine the identity of the mineral. Mineral physical properties are generally organized in a mineral key and the proper use of this key will allow you to name your unknown mineral. Please take the time to study the reference specimens of those minerals cited as examples for luster types and use terms properly in your report to classmates. External expression of a minerals internal structure. Lecture 2 has the aim to show you that close onnections do exist between the physical properties of a mineral, its crystal structure and its chemical composition. Oct 04, 2020 the mohs scale is enshrined in geoscience curricula as a simple and effective tool for identifyin minerals and understanding the influence of crystal structure and chemistry on physical properties.
These other properties are often what make the mineral commercially valuable. Minerals are classified on the basis of their chemical composition, which is expressed in their physical properties. Carmichael head, geophysics program department of geology university of iowa iowa city, iowa crc press boca raton ann arbor bost 11111111111111111 1111111111111 7178. The most common physical properties are crystal form, color, hardness, cleavage, and specific gravity. Minerals can cleave in more than one direction, also.
However, two features should be built into the teaching. This activity uses cooperative learning to identify minerals in hand sample based on physical properties. These notes follow nye rather closely, so the reading assignment above will be very useful. Minerals definition, types, and identification department. Sets of common rockforming minerals should be provided which display the breadth ofphysical properties that can readily be observed inhand sample. Light colored streaks are often difficult to see against the white. The study of minerals chapter 1 introduction to mineral physical properties for this assignment you will require. Physical properties are any features that you can use your 5 senses see, hear, feel, taste or smell to aid in identifying an unknown mineral. Students will improve writing and organizational skills by keeping a. Crystallographic, optical, and physical properties of minerals 3. One of the keys to identifying minerals is observing a combination of physical properties displayed by a. For example, all specimens of halite have the same hardness, the same density, and break in a similar manner. In most of the minerals, the impression of the color is produced by selective absorption of some of the wavelengths that constitute white light, the resultant color.
If you follow this approach you should be able to identify most of the common. Practical handbook of physical properties of rocks and. Each mineral has different physical and chemical properties. Minerals exhibit certain diagnostic properties, called physical properties, which can be tested and observed, thereby leading to the correct identification of the mineral. Pdf rock is an aggregate of mineral compositions with complex mechanical properties. Many but not all of these properties are unique to a given mineral. They also have specific physical properties that scientists can use to identify them without resorting to looking at them under a microscope. Other properties such as reaction with acid, magnetism, specific gravity, tenacity, taste, odor, feel, and presence of striationsare helpful in identifying certain minerals. Streak is one of the best physical properties for the recognition of metallic minerals because metallic minerals all have a very darkcolored streak that is nearly always consistent for a given metallic mineral.
A piece of quartz has the same physical properties whether it is an individual crystal or a fragment in a sedimentary rock or an interlocking component of. Color, luster, streak, hardness, cleavage, fracture, and crystal. Color is readily observable and certainly obvious, but it is usually less reliable than other physical properties. Use whatever minerals are readily available from your collections. This twosheet mineral type is represented by the kaolin group, with the general formula al2si2050h4.
These occur predominantly in sand and silt fractions, and are weathering resistant quartz, feldspars. The minerals escape room is an immersive experience for your students. Dec 05, 2020 minerals each have their own specific chemical composition and structure that gives them distinction from other similar minerals. Limonite uses baby powder, paints, ceramics iron ore white 1good cleavage. Minerals definition, types, and identification forensic applications. Minerals have definite crystalline structures and chemical compositions that give them unique sets of physical and chemical properties shared by all samples of that mineral. Pdf characterization and identification of mineral unknowns. Minerals are naturally occurring homogenous substance. The rock forming mineral may be classified as follows. Practical handbook of physical properties of rocks and minerals.
The major physical properties will be discussed briefly. Some characteristics, such as a mineral s hardness, are more useful for mineral identification. Each mineral species has unique and identifiable physical properties. On the following pages, you will study these properties. This is the most comprehensive compendium of the physical properties of rocks and minerals that i have been able to find. The study of minerals chapter 1 introduction to mineral. The physical characteristics of minerals include traits which are used to identify and describe mineral species.
It is exhibited in the form of resistance to abrasion on a. One of the keys to identifying minerals is observing a combination of physical properties displayed by a mineral. For your information, physical properties of a mineral may be of great technological significance because a mineral may have important industrial uses that depend on its physical properties. Minerals that break along flat surfaces have cleavage. Minerals can be identified by their color, luster, streak, cleavage, hardness, and even by their chemical composition. In most of the minerals, the impression of the color is produced by selective absorption of some of the wavelengths that constitute white light, the resultant color being, in effect, white light minus the absorbed. Other minerals do not break with rough, uneven edges.
The chemical properties comprise chemical formula and the proportion of elements in the purest form of the minerals. However, contradictory results have been reported relating the influence of mineral content on the geomechanical properties of sandstones 6. Minerals have distinguishing physical properties that in most cases can be used to determine the identity of the mineral. Illinois state geological survey using characteristics of minerals to. Physical property of minerals an overview sciencedirect. Rocks in earths core and the evidence from iron meteorites glossary bibliography. Physical properties of minerals and determinative techniques. These identifications are based on physical properties, unit cell parameters or d spacings determined from powder xray diffraction scans. Physical properties of the minerals in hand specimen can be broadly divided into 3 categories. Library of congress cataloginginpublication data crc.
Study of physical properties of minerals i egyankosh. The jigsaw pedagogy upon which this lab is based provides the environment for four succeeding labs in which the students learn the megascopic characteristic properties, chemical composition, and a geologic significance for each of. Other properties mineral white 1cleavage earthy or pearly luster. This is an indirect measure of the bond strength in the mineral. Properties of minerals more than three thousand minerals are known to occur in the crust of the earth. Rocks and mineralsoverviewcolourstreaklustrehardnesscleavagechemical reaction. Next to the reddish brown streak of hematite is a light yellow streak. The major physical properties will be discussed briefly below in the order in which they are used to identify an unknown mineral sample. The mineral composition, the void space, the degree of grain interlocking, the packing density and the grain size is known to be affected by the petrographic characteristics 3.
Often interrupted due to competition for space and. Pdf exploring the relationship of scratch resistance. Physical science informational text cards from the science penguin this pack has 28 informational text cards all about physical science. Mica is a mineral that splits apart in very flat sheets. Physical properties you will use to identify the minerals include color, streak, hardness, luster, density, habit, cleavage, magnetism, fluorescence, and reaction to chemicals. The jigsaw pedagogy upon which this lab is based provides the environment for four succeeding labs in which the students learn the megascopic characteristic properties, chemical composition, and a geologic significance for each of approximately 100 minerals. Nov 22, 2016 a mineral s physical propertiesa mineral s physical properties are controlled by itsare controlled by its internalinternal arrangement of atomsarrangement of atoms regularly repeating, orderly patternregularly repeating, orderly pattern 9. Mineral identification basics physical properties streak sphalerite is a dark mineral, however, it has a light colored streak. Some of them are very common, for instance quartz, feldspars, calcite etc. In this article, you will develop a ystematic approach to using the physical properties of minerals as identifying tools. Page 1 lab 1 physical properties and the identification. This sometimes gives the mineral an iridescent quality. Topics include matter, conservation of matter, constant properties, mineral properties, velocity, kinetic and potential energy, electricity, gravity, mixtures an.
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