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Lab - Mineral Identification
Lab - Mineral Identification
Introduction: In this lab activity you will become familiar with minerals and identifying
their different properties. This lab will also introduce you to the deductive process
where you will utilize the results of each property test to identify the name of the mineral
from an established key.
Materials:
15 unidentified Minerals Magnet
Streak plate Penny
Nail
Procedure:
1. Place your name, date, and class period top of this sheet.
2. Read through the Pre-lab worksheet and answer the questions (page 2 &
3).
3. Self-check your answers at one of the stations set up around the room.
4. Get a mineral kit. Go through and test each mineral for:
Hardness Cleavage/fracture
Color Heft
Streak Luster
5. Be sure to record all information in the data table
YOU WILL NOT KNOW THE MINERAL NAME TILL THE END OF THE LAB.
6. As you’re testing your minerals, be sure to record your findings on your
record sheet
7. After you have tested all 15 minerals for all 6 properties, compare your
test results for each mineral to the established mineral chart in the back.
Use this chart to identify the mineral name.
What did you learn after completing this activity? Write a conclusion paragraph below:
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Mineral identification Lab: Pre-lab worksheet
Streak: The color of the mineral when powdered. To test for streak, draw the mineral
against an unglazed porcelain tile (streak plate). Streak is more useful for identification
than color is.
Cleavage or fracture: These two properties refer to the way in which a mineral breaks.
Cleavage is an orderly breakage in well-defined planes, meaning the mineral has flat
sides. Fracture is a random breakage. If a mineral breaks with rough, random surfaces, it
is said to have fracture.
Heft: Compare the relative “heft” of a mineral by holding it in your hand and comparing
it to other minerals of about the same size. In general, metallic minerals are heavier than
non-metallic minerals. For ease, minerals are classified as 1.) light, 2.) heavy, 3.) very
heavy.
Luster: Refers to the way that a mineral reflects light. The simplest distinction is
between metallic luster (shiny and gold or silver color) and nonmetallic luster (does not
look like a metal in color, although it may be shiny). Particular types of nonmetallic
luster include pearly, vitreous (glassy), resinous (has the appearance of resin), silky, and
earthy (dull).
Other Tests:
MAGNET TEST: if one of your rocks is attracted to a magnet, it may be magnetite. But
check all the other properties too because other iron ores are also easily magnetized.
Mineral identification Lab: Pre-lab worksheet
Read through the lab handed out to you. Answer the following questions before you
begin your lab.
2. Briefly describe how you would test a mineral for each of these properties
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Calcite Clear to milky, White 3 Cleavage Light Glassy to earthy Mineral takes a
orange, blue rhombic shape
Reacts with acid
Feldspar Gray, green Colorless 6 Two planes of Light Vitreous
orange cleavage that (glassy)
meet at right
angles
Graphite Grey Grey 1.2 Cleavage Light Metallic to
Dull