STUDENT RESPONSES

The following is a summary of the questions in this lab for ease in submitting answers online.

1. Sample A. What is this sample’s hardness?

a. harder than glass

b. softer than glass but harder than nail

c. softer than nail but harder than copper

d. softer than copper but harder than a fingernail

e. softer than a fingernail

2. Sample D. What is this sample’s hardness?

a. harder than glass

b. softer than glass but harder than nail

c. softer than nail but harder than copper

d. softer than copper but harder than a fingernail

e. softer than a fingernail

3. Sample G. What is this sample’s hardness?

a. harder than glass

b. softer than glass but harder than nail

c. softer than nail but harder than copper

d. softer than copper but harder than a fingernail

e. softer than a fingernail

4. Sample I. What is this sample’s hardness?

a. harder than glass

b. softer than glass but harder than nail

c. softer than nail but harder than copper

d. softer than copper but harder than a fingernail

e. softer than a fingernail

5. Sample A. This sample has:

a. no cleavage (it fractures)

b. 1 cleavage plane

c. 2 cleavage planes not at 90o

d. 3 cleavage planes not at 90o

e. 4 cleavage planes

6. Sample F. This sample has:

a. no cleavage (it fractures)

b. 1 cleavage plane

c. 2 cleavage planes at 90o

d. 3 cleavage planes not at 90o

e. 4 cleavage planes

7. Sample H. This sample has:

a. no cleavage (it fractures)

b. 1 cleavage plane

c. 2 cleavage planes not at 90o

d. 2 cleavage planes at 90o

e. 4 cleavage planes

8. Sample A. What is a use for this sample?

a. toothpaste

b. construction materials

c. watches

d. sheetrock

9. Sample B. What is the streak of this sample?

a. white streak

b. dark grayish black streak

c. reddish brown streak

d. pink streak

10. Sample C. What is the luster of this sample?

a. non-metallic, vitreous

b. non-metallic, earthy

c. non-metallic, greasy
d. non-metallic, waxy

e. metallic

11. Sample D. What is a use for this sample?

a. pharmaceuticals

b. toothpaste

c. watches

d. sheetrock

12. Sample E. What is a special property of this sample?

a. malleable

b. sectile

c. brittle

d. elastic

13. Sample F. What is the luster of this sample?

a. non-metallic

b. metallic

14. Sample G. What is the streak of this sample?

a. pale yellow streak

b. reddish brown streak

c. black streak

d. white streak

15. Sample I. What is a use for this sample?

a. pharmaceuticals

b. glassmaking

c. jewelry

d. toothpaste

16. Based on your research of the White Sands National Park, what mineral is the sand made of?

a. quartz

b. halite

c. muscovite

d. gypsum

17. How was the dune field created at White Sands National Park?

a. the lake dried up, leaving behind crystals of the mineral in #16

b. thrust faulting

c. an orogenic (mountain building) event

d. none of the answer choices are correct

Now that you have had practice at detecting the properties of your mineral samples, take the next

step of identifying each sample. Use the Mineral Identification Chart (Figure 18) to help you.

Finish filling out Table 1, the Mineral Notation Chart.