-EARTH SCIENCE-

GROUP 2
Member : Mailene D. Mendoza
Rose Ann S. Ortega
OBJECTIVE : Demonstrate understanding about Physical and Chemical Properties of Mineral.
Minerals can be identified using a number of properties. These includes physical and chemical properties.
Hardness – This is the resistance of mineral surface to scratching. However, minerals can be harder in different
directions. There is a simple scale of relative (not absolute) hardness ranging 1-10.
Density and Specific Gravity – Density is the mass per unit volume but is inconvenient to measure directly.
Instead, we are commonly use specific gravity, a relative density in which the mineral is weighed in air, followed by a
weighing while the mineral is immersed in water. The specific gravity of most minerals ranges from 1.5 up to 19.5.
Cleavage – This to the number, direction and intensity of development of regular-spaced breakage directions of
mineral parallel to crystallographic planes. It is usually specified by its quality (perfect, good, fair, poor) and its
direction.
Colour – Usually expressed as the main body colour of the mineral, along with the intensity of this colour. Some
minerals are of differing colour along different crystal axes, a phenomenon called Pleochroism. If the colour varies in
2 directions, the mineral is called dichroic whereas if the colour varies in 3 directions the mineral is called trichroic.
Lustre/Luster - This is the appearance of a mineral
surface in reflected light:  Pearly – slightly iridescent
 Metallic, Sub-Metallic or Non-Metallic  Silky – usually in fibrous minerals
 Adamantine – the brightest, usually occurs in minerals  Waxy – (e.g. chalcedony)
with a high reflective index (e.g. diamond)  Earthy – very dull lustre, usually in minerals
 Resinous – (e.g. sulfur) with rought surface.
 Vitreous – glass like

Streak – The colour of the powdered form of a mineral. It is a more reliable indication of a mineral than its main
body colour, as it is more constant. Usually tested by drawing the mineral across an unglazed porcelain tile (streak
plate) to leave a coloured streak.
Transparency – Trancparency (diaphaneity) is the degree to which light is transmitted trough a mineral. Minerals
can be opaque, translucent, or transparent.
Crystal Form – The quality of development of crystal faces present:
 Euhedral – well-developed crystals with most faces shown.
 Subhedral – partially-developed crystals with some crystal faces shown.
 Anhedral – irregularly-formed minerals with no crystal faces shown.

Crystal Habit – The three-dimensional shape of an individual crystal. General habit may be:
 Equidimensional (equant) – cubic, spherical
 Inequidimensional – prismatic, platy, acicular or fibrous
 Embayed crystals – have hallows or embayments in their outer edges.
 Skeletal crystals – have hallows or embayments in specific orientations.
 Dendritic crystals – consist of a regular array of fibres sharing a common orientation.
Chemical Composition – Minerals can be made of just one element such as copper or be a combination of
several elements in a chemical compound. Minerals are classified according to their chemical groups, e.g. native
elements, sulfides, carbonates, oxides, borates, tungstates, chromates, halides, sulfates, silicates, etc. Chemical
composition is usually determined with complex laboratory equipment such as X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometers,
Mass Spectrometers, and Scanning Electron Microscopes with spectrometer attachment.
 •EARTH SCIENCE•

Physical and Chemical Properties of Mineral

Hardness – there is simple scale of relative (not absolute) hardness ranging 1-10 (1 is talc & 10 is diamond), (e.g.
kyanite is softer along its long axis (hardness 5) than across it (7).

The Full Scale

Talc 1 Orthoclase feldspar 6

Gypsum 2 Quartz 7

Calcite 3 Topaz 8

Fluorite 4 Corundum 9

Apatite 5 Diamond 10

Density – (the density of pure water is 1). It is a ratio between the weight of a mineral and the weight of an equal
volume of water. The specific gravity of most minerals ranges from 1.5 to 19.5.

Cleavage – it is usually specified by its quality (perfect, good, fair, poor) and its direction. Some minerals lack
cleavage (e.g. quartz, garnet) have an irregular surface. Pyroxenes have 2 distinct cleavages at 90°, while amphiboles
have 2 distinct cleavages at 120°.

Colour – if the colour varies in 2 directions, the mineral is called dichroic whereas if the colour varies in 3 directions
the mineral is called trichroic).

Luster – Lustre (British English) while the Luster (American English). The pronunciation is still luster in English
American but lusth in British English. It’s the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock, or mineral. The
word traces its origin back to the Latin lux, means “light” and generally implies radiance, gloss, or brilliance.

Streak – usually tested by drawing the mineral across an unglazed porcelain tile (streak plate) to leave a coloured
streak.

Transparency – minerals can be opaque, translucent, or transparent.

Crystal Form - Euhedral – well-developed crystals with most faces shown.
 Subhedral – partially-developed crystals with some crystal faces shown.
 Anhedral – irregularly-formed minerals with no crystal faces shown.

Crystal Habit - Equidimensional (equant) – cubic, spherical

 Inequidimensional – prismatic, platy, acicular or fibrous
 Embayed crystals – have hallows or embayments in their outer edges.
 Skeletal crystals – have hallows or embayments in specific orientations.
 Dendritic crystals – consist of a regular array of fibres sharing a common orientation.

Chemical Composition – minerals are classified according to their chemical groups, (native elements, sulfides,
carbonates, oxides, borates, tungstates, chromates, halides, sulfates, silicates, etc. the small hand-held portable
versions of some of these have been developed for more convenient laboratory and field use.

WE CAN DO IT!

Mai ^_^
 -EARTH SCIENCE-
GROUP 4
Member : Mailene D. Mendoza
Rose Ann S. Ortega
Objective : Describe what happens after the magma is formed.

Magma – is the hot melted rock that flows beneath the earth surface.

Magma is formed when hot rocks in the Earth partially melt which occurs when:
• the pressure decreases
• volatile are added to hot rocks
• heat is transferred by a magma rising from the mantle into the crust

What happens after magma is formed? How and why the magma rises?

Density Contrast - magma is less dense than the surrounding country rock. Magma rises faster
when the difference in density between the magma and the surrounding rock is greater.
- At deeper levels, magma passes through mineral grain boundaries and cracks in the surrounding
rock. When enough mass buoyancy is attained, the overlying surrounding rock is pushed aside as
the magma rises.
- At shallower level, magma may no longer rise because its density is almost the same as that of a
country rock. The magma starts to accumulate and slowly solidifies.

Viscosity - measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow. Magmas with low viscosity flow more easily than
those with high viscosity. Temperature, silica content and volatile content control the viscosity of
magma.

Factors that Affect Magma’s Viscosity

FACTOR EFFECT TO VISCOSITY
↑ temperature ↓ viscosity
↑ Silica content (SiO2) ↑ viscosity
↑ dissolved water (H2O) ↓ viscosity

- Once it is formed it moves in an upward flow because it is less dense than other rocks under
the earth and can feed into volcano or cool and crystallize into intrusive igneous rock. If it
becomes intrusive igneous rock, it can be extracted later for use by humans on Earth as a
granite.
- Igneous rock undergoes weathering (or breakdown) to form sediment. The sediment and
transported and deposited somewhere (such as at the beach, in a delta or in the deep sea).
Then it goes lithification and process to turn it to a rock.