MineralsGroup2

Characteristics of a Mineral- earths crust is 3000 minerals.important roles in forming rocks and in shaping earths surface. Minerals are naturally occuring inorganic, ]l[\]solid with a specific chemical composition and a definite crystalline structure.

Chemical Properties of a Mineral- Crystal Form, Luster and the hardness are 3 ways of identifying minerals. Some minerals form such distinct crystal shapes that they are immediatly recognizable. Halite -common table salt-always forms perfect cubes. Quartz crystals, with their double pointed ends, and six sided crystals, are also readily recognized. Luster is the way that minerals __Chemical Properties of a Mine


 * Mineral Families-**__
 * Silicates- Minerals that contain Silicon and Oxygen and one or more element/s.
 * Tetrahedron- Geometric solid having four sides that are equilateral triangles.

Physical Properties of Minerals- There cleavage and fracture have an atomic arrangement also determines how a mineral will break. Minerals break along planes where atomic bonding is weak. The Streak of a a mineral is rubbed across an unglazed porcelain plate will sometimes leave a colored powdered streak on the surface of the plate. The color is one of the most noticeable characteristics of a mineral is its color. Color is sometimes caused by the presence of trace elements or compounds with a mineral. __Crystal Form__ is the distinct shape of a crystal. Halite always forms squares, quartz has double pointed ends and are six-sided. __Luster__ is how light reflects off of the crystal. There are two types, metallic and non-metallic luster. __Hardness__ is how effortlessly the mineral is scratched. The Moh’s Scale uses the hardness of known materials to discover the hardness of other materials. __Cleavage__ is how easily and evenly a mineral breaks along a level plane. __Fracture__ is when minerals break unevenly. __Streak__ is the color of the mineral when it is powdered. __Color__ is affected by trace elements found in a mineral. __Texture__ is the way a mineral feels, such as smooth, rough, ragged, greasy or soapy, but is subjective (cannot along determine a mineral). __Density__ is the mass per unit of substance, which can set apart two minerals of the same size and color.

Special properties: Special Properties Of Minerals: There are 5 special properties in minerals. Double Refraction whose mineral is Calcite-Variety Iceland Spar. Effervescence whose mineral is calcite. Magnetism whose mineral is Magnetite Pyrrhotite. Iridescence whose mineral is Labradorite and Fluorescence whose mineral is Fluorite Calcite. Several special properties of minerals can also be used for identification purposes. Texture is a special property of a mineral that describes how a mineral feels from the touch. This is subjective, like luster. The texture of a mineral is described in one of five ways. Smooth, rough, ragged, greasy or soapy. Density and Specific Gravity is also an important part of special properties of a mineral. Its even possible that 2 minerals the same size or same texture could have a different weight. Density is what results differences in weight. Density reflects the atomic mass and structure of a mineral. Specific gravity is the most common used measure of density.

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