Name ______________________ Date ____ / ____ / ____

IDENTIFYING UNKNOWN MINERALS

Minerals can be identified by carefully observing their physical characteristics. These
characteristics include:
Color: this depends on the substance that makes up the crystals and varies greatly.
Hardness: depends on the substance and can be determined using a scratch test.
Luster: this refers to how light reflects off the mineral, how "shiny" it is.

Use the information about color, hardness, and luster given in the three tables below to
provide the name of the unknown mineral in the table at the bottom of the page.

Hardness Scale
Hardness Mineral Common Tests
1 Talc Fingernail will Color Mineral
2 Gypsum/Kaolinite scratch it. Quartz, Feldspar,
A copper penny White: Calcite, Kaolinite,
3 Mica/Calcite Talc
will scratch it.
4 Fluorite Knife blade or Yellow: Quartz, Kaolinite
window glass Black: Hornblende, Mica
5 Apatite/Hornblende Gray: Feldspar, Gypsum
will scratch it.
6 Feldspar Quartz, Calcite,
Will scratch a Colorless:
7 quartz Gypsum
steel knife or
8 Topaz
window glass.
9 Corundum
Will scratch all Luster Mineral
10 Diamond common Glassy: Quartz, Feldspar,
materials Hornblende
Pearly: Mica, Gypsum, Talc
Dull: Kaolinite
Unknown minerals' properties

Hardness Color Luster Mineral

Will scratch a steel
Yellow Glassy
knife or window glass.
Will scratch a steel
Gray Glassy
knife or window glass.
A copper penny will
Black Pearly
scratch it.
Fingernail will scratch
White Pearly
it.
Knife blade or window
Black Glassy
glass will scratch it.

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