Mineral Lab Answer Sheet Online
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Kalamazoo Valley Community College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
202
Subject
Geology
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by dezzytv29
Fall 2022
GEL 109 Name: Lab: MINERAL ID ANSWER SHEET I.
Table 1. Mineral Properties
SR
samples Color Luster Metallic/non-
metallic Streak Hardness Distinctive
Property Mineral
Name 1 Pink Non-metallic White 6.0 Soft texture
Potassium Feldspar 3 Black
Metallic
Grey
5.5
Fair cleavage
Hornblende
5 6 7 19 31 32 37 38 Black Metallic Black 6 Magnetic magnetite 40 43 29
Fall 2022
GEL 109 II
.
Table 2. Specific Gravity
Unknown Minerals Mass
of Sample Initial Volume Final Volume Volume of
Sample Show work Specific Gravity (Density) B C D III. Questions
1.
Would color be a very useful property for identifying fluorite or quartz? Explain
why or
why not. Color is an ambiguous property of fluorite because it is a different specimens (color) of the same mineral (fluorite). Based on the samples of quartz, explain why color is not a diagnostic property of this mineral. Color is not a diagnostic property of quartz because the color varies.
2.
Pick three
of the 12 minerals from Table 1 – Mineral Properties you observed for which
color may be a good identifying property. Use the identification sheets in the last pages
of the lab to explain why for each one. 3.
Calcite, fluorite, and quartz, are all clear minerals. Describe how you would distinguish one from another. Quartz and calcite are common minerals in the rocks around the world. Both minerals form in a
variety of colors, such as purple, white, brown, gray and colorless, which at times makes them appear similar. However, these two minerals have many distinctively different physical and chemical properties that differentiate them. If scratching is not applicable, then the cleavage will
distinguish between them. Calcite cleaves (breaks) into rhombic forms.
4.
A mineral will scratch glass, but won’t scratch quartz. Quartz will scratch the mineral.
What would you estimate the Mohs hardness of the mineral to be? On the Mohs hardness scale glass is 5 to 5.5 and quartz is 7, so anything that has a hardness from 5 to 6.5, more or less, will be what you are looking for, such as a knife blade (5–6.5), a steel
file (6.5) or Turquoise (5–6).
30
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help