Prepared by

Mrs. Amany Adel

Gaber Hussien
Teacher of Earth
science of stem
Menoufia
Weeks: Week 02 - Week 04
ES.1.02:
Examine common minerals and
identify them and differentiate
them from other common
minerals.
 In the end of the session student should be able to:
• . 1 know. Minerals have distinct physical properties that enable them to be distinguished from one
another.
• 2 dentify For most common minerals, the most useful properties for hand sample identification
include hardness, cleavage or fracture patterns, translucency, and color.
• 3 Recognize Metallic minerals are uncommon, but economically important.
• 4. Know For metallic minerals, the additional properties of streak and magnetism are useful for
hand sample identification.
•5. Understanding Completely unambiguous identification of minerals often requires sophisticated
laboratory analysis
Physical Properties

• Some minerals can be identified with little more than the naked eye. We do this by examining the
physical properties of the mineral in question, which include:

• Color: the color of the mineral.

• Streak: the color of the mineral’s powder (this is often different from the color of the whole mineral).

• Luster: shininess.

• Density: mass per volume, typically reported in "specific gravity," which is the density relative to water.

• Cleavage: the mineral’s tendency to break along planes of weakness.

• Fracture: the pattern in which a mineral breaks.

• Hardness: which minerals it can scratch and which minerals can scratch it.

How physical properties are used to identify minerals is described in the concept "Mineral Identification."
 Color, Streak, and Luster

Color

• Color may be the first feature you notice about a mineral, but color is not often important for mineral
identification.

• For example, quartz can be colorless, purple (amethyst), or a variety of other colors depending on
chemical impurities Figure 4.69.
Color

• Color is usually the first thing you notice about a mineral.

• However, it is the least reliable property in identifying a mineral.

• Many minerals have different colors depending on what impurities are present.

• Corundum (Al2O3) is sometimes tinted red by small amounts of chromium.

• These crystals are known as rubies.

• A sapphire is the same mineral tinted blueby small amounts of titanium.

• Quartz is usually transparent.

• However, it can be many other colors, depending on what impurities are present.

• Some minerals tarnish or change color when their surfaces are exposed to air.

• Many minerals have the same color as others.

• Many prospectors in the gold rush days were fooled by pyrite.

• Pyrite is known as fool’s gold. It has a metallic luster and a color similar to gold.

• However, it has a lower specific gravity than gold.

• It is also brittle (gold is malleable), and leaves black streak on a white porcelain tile (gold has a
gold-colored streak).
 Colour:
The colour of a mineral depends of the length of light waves reflected from its surface.

Although colour is the most obvious property of minerals, it may not be very useful for their
identification because most of minerals change the colour by changing its chemical composition or
contain small portion of impurities may change the colour of the same mineral.

For examples are:

a . Quartz which found in different colours as rose quartz due to
the presence of manganese impurities, purple to violet quartz
(amethyst) the colour is due to impurities of iron oxides,milky
quartz is white like milk due to minute gas bubbles,smoky quartz,
its grey to black colour due to breaking some bonds when
they are exposed to high energy radiations as from a
radioactive source while the pure quartz is transparent or
colourless and known as “rock crystal”.
 b .Sphalerite (zinc Sulphide) is yellowish transparent, which turns brownish
colour when small
amounts of iron replace zinc in its atomic structure.
On the other hand, certain minerals have a permanent and unchanging colour
“known asreal or native colour”. For example the yellow colour of sulphur and
the green colour of malachite (hydrous copper carbonate).

Streak

• Streak is the color of a mineral’s powder, which often is not the same color as the mineral itself.

• Many minerals, such as the quartz in the Figure 4.69, do not have streak.

• Hematite is an example of a mineral that displays a certain color in hand sample (typically black to
steel gray, sometimes reddish), and a different streak color (red/brown).
Streak

• Streak is the color of the powdered mineral.

• To determine the streak of a mineral, scratch it across a piece of unglazed porcelain tile
(a streak plate).

• Many minerals have a distinctive streak color.

• Streak color may be different from the color of the mineral sample.

• For example, hematite is often dark gray in color, but it always has a red streak.
 Streak:

• Streak is the colour of the powdered mineral that we get it by

scratching mineral on a piece of unpolished porcelain.

• Streak has a constant colour for minerals whose colour changes

due to changing type or quantity of the impurities, and so it is
one of the properties that can be relied upon to identify the
minerals is.

• Such as “hematite” mineral has two colours dark grey and red
while its streak is red, pyrite which is characterized by golden
colour, its streak is black and quartz which has different colors,
its streak is white only.
Luster

• Luster describes the reflection of light off a mineral’s surface.

• Mineralogists have special terms to describe luster.

• One simple way to classify luster is based on whether the mineral is metallic or non-metallic.

• Minerals that are opaque and shiny, such as pyrite, have a metallic luster.

• Minerals such as quartz have a non-metallic luster. Different types of non-metallic luster are
described in Table 4.2.

Luster

• Luster describes the way a mineral reflects light.

• Luster is either metallic or nonmetallic.

• Minerals with metallic luster look like polished metal.

• Nonmetallic lusters are often described as glassy (or vitreous), waxy, pearly,
earthy, or dull.

• Pyrite and galena have metallic luster.

• Quartz and calcite have a vitreous (glassy) to greasy luster.

• Feldspar has a pearly luster. (See Figures 6a–d.)

Figure 6a Figure 6b
Quartz has Feldspar
a vitreous has a pearly
luster. luster.

Figure 6c
Galena
shows Figure 6d Pyrite has a
a metallic
metallic luster.
luster.
1. Luster:

Luster Is the ability of mineral to reflect light that falling on its surface.

a) Metallic luster: Some minerals show a metallic luster and

resemble metals that reflect light so much that the mineral is
bright or brilliant such as ( pyrite – galena – gold )

B( Non-metallic luster : Minerals which have a non-metallic luster, are

described as familiar examples to us from such as:
1/ Vitreous (glassy)as in( quartz and calcite)
2/ Pearly as in (feldspar)
3/ Adamantine luster as in (diamond).
4/ Dull or earthy luster: The least intensity luster and
its surface is matte (dull) as in (kaolinite)
 diamond

Kaolonite

feldspar

calcite and quartez

Malleability and ductility:

• A feature reflects the extent of ease or possibility of malleable

and ductile a mineral to form a thinner sheet or wires such as
gold, silver or copper.

• On the other hand, the minerals are considered as brittle or

breakable if they are fragmented by hammering .
Hardness

Hardness is a measure of whether a mineral will scratch or be scratched. Mohs Hardness Scale, shown in Table
4.3, is a reference for mineral hardness.

TABLE 4.3: Mohs Hardness Scale: 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).

• With a Mohs scale, anyone can test an unknown mineral for its hardness.
• Imagine you have an unknown mineral.
• You find that it can scratch fluorite or even apatite, but feldspar scratches it.
• You know then that the mineral’s hardness is between 5 and 6. Note that no other mineral can scratch
diamond.

Hardness

Hardness is the resistance of a mineral to scratching. Mineralogists use a relative

scale of hardness. It is called the Mohs scale and is given below.
1. Talc

2. Gypsum

3. Calcite

4. Fluorite

5. Apatite

6. Orthoclase

7. Quartz

8. Topaz

9. Corundum

10. Diamond
• Each mineral in the scale scratches minerals earlier in the scale and is scratched by
minerals later in the scale.

• Diamond (with a hardness of 10) is the hardest natural substance known.

• The mineral talc (with a hardness of 1) is one of the softest.

• The way to test the hardness of an unknown mineral is to scratch it with a material of
known hardness.

• If the mineral is scratched, it is not as hard.

• If the unknown mineral scratches the known material, then it is harder.

• Here are the hardnesses, on the Mohs scale, of some common materials:

• fingernail: about 2.5

• iron nail: about 4.5

 • knife blade: a little more than 5

• window glass,

• masonry nail: 5.5

• steel file: 6.5 Hardness of halite = 2.5

1. Hardness:

• The hardness of a mineral is its ability to resist scratching. It is determined relatively where a harder
mineral will scratch a softer mineral of lower hardness.

• Hardness is determined numerically according to the “Mohs” scale in which minerals are arranged
from 1 to 10 in degree of hardness.
• The softest mineral, number 1 on the scale, is talc, while diamond, which can scratch all
other minerals, has a hardness of 10.
Determination the Hardness in the field or lab.:
• It is easy to determine hardness in the geological fields or laboratory by using set of hardness pens
that made of alloys which have the same degrees of hardness identified in Mohs scale.

• In the case of unavailability these pens of Mohs scale, we use objects with common usage in our
daily life with known hardness, for example, the hardness of human fingernail is about 2.5 i.e.

• it scratches talc and gypsum but it does not scratch calcite.

• A copper coin has a hardness of about 3.5 A piece of window glass has a hardness of about 5.5; the
streak plate of ceramic has a hardness of about 6.5

• Fortunately, most minerals have hardness less than 6.5 which makes the determination of hardness
relatively easy.
• As used hardness property to distinguish between natural and precious gemstone that are expensive and
those industrially imitation ornamental stones of glass material or aluminum oxide.

• The most important gemstones and precious minerals, in addition to their attractive colors, they do not been
scratched easily, therefore, most of them exceeding hardness of 7.5, while imitation ornamental stones are
characterized byattractive colors but their hardness are often less than 6.

hardness of graphite === from 1 to 2

hardness of pyrite = 6 to 6.5

Cleavage and Fracture

• Breaking a mineral breaks its chemical bonds. Since some bonds are weaker than other bonds, each type of
mineral is likely to break where the bonds between the atoms are weaker.

• For that reason, minerals break apart in characteristic ways.

Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along certain planes to make smooth surfaces. Halite ( Figure 4.71)
breaks between layers of sodium and chlorine to form cubes with smooth surfaces.
• Mica has cleavage in one direction and forms sheets ( Figure 4.72).

• Minerals can cleave into polygons. Magnetite forms octahedrons ( Figure 4.73).

• One reason gemstones are beautiful is that the cleavage planes make an attractive crystal shape with
smooth faces.

• Fracture is a break in a mineral that is not along a cleavage plane.

• Fracture is not always the same in the same mineral because fracture is not determined by the
structure of the mineral.

• Minerals may have characteristic fractures ( Figure 4.74). Metals usually fracture into jagged
edges.

• If a mineral splinters like wood, it may be fibrous. Some minerals, such as quartz, form smooth
curved surfaces when they fracture.
Cleavage

• Many minerals have cleavage.

• This means that when they break, they tend to break along regularly oriented planes of weakness.

• (See Figures 7a–d.) Cleavage planes form along planes of weak atomic bonds in the mineral.

• For example, mica splits easily into sheets because there are very weakatomic bonds between the
layers of atoms in mica.

• Galena and halite break in cubes because they have cleavage in three directions, all at right angles
to one another.

• Feldspar has cleavage in two directions, at nearly right angles.

• However, it breaks irregularly in other directions.

• Some minerals, such as quartz, have no cleavage.

• Quartz breaks into irregular shapes. It often shows a curved surface called conchoidal
fracture.

Figure 7b Halite
Figure 7a has three
Muscovite has directions of
one direction cleavage. .
ofcleavage They are at 90°
to each other.

rhombohedral cleavage
Figure 7d
Figure 7c Calcite Feldspar has two
has three directions of
directions of cleavage.
cleavage. They are
not at 90° to each
other.
 regualr arrengment of atoms
Cleavage:
Cleavage is the ability of the mineral to split along planer surfaces representing the
weaker planes produce smooth surfaces when minerals are broken or pressed.

Types of cleavage:

Cleavage in one direction: The best example of cleavage what is seen in mica mineral which is
characterized by good cleavage in one direction which is known as “flaky
cleavage”.

• It is splitting easily along one basal plane forming thin plates or sheets.

• Graphite also has good basal cleavage where the cleavage is in a direction
Paralled to the base of the crystals
a) Cleavage in more than one direction: Many minerals have cleavage in more
than one direction (two or three directions).
• Halite and galena have perfect cubic cleavage.
• Calcite, onthe other hand, hasrhombohedra cleavage. Many minerals, e.g.
quartz have nocleavage.

3. Fracture:

Fracture is the shape of surface resulting from the breaking the

mineral,and the resulting shape of the fracture does not follow
any described plane of cleavage and compared to known forms
such as concoidal fracture that characterizing quartz and flint or
rough fracture with uneven surface, or jagged fracture with sharp
elevations that characterizes the majority of minerals in nature.
Specific Gravity

• Density describes how much matter is in a certain amount of space: density = mass/volume.

• Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object.

• The amount of space an object takes up is described by its volume. The density of an object depends on
its mass and its volume.

• For example, the water in a drinking glass has the same density as the water in the same volume of a
swimming pool.

• Gold has a density of about 19 g/cm3; pyrite has a density of about 5 g/cm3 - that’s another way to tell
pyrite from gold.

• Quartz is even less dense than pyrite and has a density of 2.7 g/cm3.
• The specific gravity of a substance compares its density to that of water. Substances that are more dense
have higher specific gravity.

Specific Gravity

• Specific gravity is a ratio of the weight of the mineral to the weight of an equal
volume of water.

• Water has a specific gravity of 1.

• Galena is a mineral that contains lead.

• It has a specific gravity of about 7.5.

• That means it is about 7.5 times as dense as water.

• Most nonmetallic minerals have specific gravities less than 3.

• These include minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and calcite.

 4 .Play of colour:

• Certain minerals change their colour when moved in front of human eyes in the different directions (or
in front of a source of light).

• This property, known as play of colour, characterizes some precious and semiprecious gemstones that
used as ornamental.

a) Diamond for example, disperses falling light onit intored andviolet thengives strongluster inalldirections.
b) Precious opal mineral is characterized by spangling or what known as “Cat’s eyes” is also where mineral luster which has
fibrous tissues, is rippling dependingon the directionofview.
 5 . Transparency:
The transparency of a mineral is the transparency degree of minerals or the ability degree to which light
can pass through minerals.
a) Transparent mineral: The mineral is transparentif we can see a clear picture through it.
b) Translucent mineral: The mineral is translucent (semitransparent) if the picture seen through it is not clear.
c) Opaque mineral: The mineral is opaque if the mineral does not transmit light at all.

Crystal Shape

• When minerals grow in unconfined spaces, they usually have a regular crystal shape.

• Quartz crystals grow as six-sided (hexagonal) columns with pointed tops. (See Figure 8.)

• Garnets often grow in regular twelve-sided shapes.

• These shapes are called dodecahedra. (See Figure 9.)

 Figure 8 Quartz crystals grow in
hexagonal columns.

Figure 9 Garnets often grow in

dodecahedral shapes.
Other Identifying Characteristics

• Some minerals have other unique properties, some of which are listed in Table 4.4.

• Can you name a unique property that would allow you to instantly identify a mineral that’s been described
quite a bit in this concept? (Hint: It is most likely found on your dinner table.)
 Other Properties

• Some minerals have special properties.

• These make them easy to identify.

• They also make these minerals useful for specific purposes.

• Metals have properties that make them useful in machinery.

• Most metals are malleable.

• This means that under pressure they can be changed in shape without breaking.

• Also, metals are very useful in the production and distribution of power.

• Metals tend to be good conductors of electricity.

• Most are also ductile. This means that they can be stretched into wire.
• Some minerals have a chemical reaction to acids.

• Carbonate minerals are an example.

• They fizz when a drop of weak hydrochloric acid is applied.

• Acid breaks down the chemical bonds in the carbonate.

• The fizz is CO2 gas being released.

• Acid is a good test to identify the calcium carbonate mineral calcite.

• A few minerals are radioactive

• . The atoms of radioactive materials are not stable.

• They release subatomic particles and radiation as they decay.

• Uranium minerals are radioactive.

• They can be detected with a Geiger counter. (This an instrument that detects
radiation.)

• Some minerals are magnetic.

• Magnetite is an important ore of iron. It is magnetic.

• Some minerals are fluorescent.

• They change ultraviolet light to other wavelengths.

• Fluorite is one example.

• A few minerals are phosphorescent.

• They store light energy.

• Then they slowly release it.

 Other Properties:

Minerals are also identified by the use of other properties as:

1. Specific gravity: is the ratio between mineral mass and the mass of the same volume of water.Specific gravity of
minerals are ranging between light, medium and heavy. Such as specific gravity of galena is 7.5 and specific gravity
of gold is 19.3
2. Magnetic properties: in terms of their attraction to magnet as magnetite and hematite or not attraction with magnet as
gold and diamond.
3. Thermal properties:suchastheabilityofmineralfusiontomeltanditsmeltingpoint(high or low).
4. Other properties: in addition to properties help identifying the minerals. The taste of mineral such as (salty in halite or
bitter or etc...) and the touchandsmell.
 Summary

• Some minerals have a unique property that makes them fairly easy to identify, such as high
specific gravity or salty taste.

• Color is not a reliable indicator of mineral type for most minerals, but streak is for certain
minerals.

• Cleavage can be a unique and beautiful indicator of mineral type.

 Geo word
• hardness: the resistance of a mineral to scratching.

• Mohs scale: a standard of 10 minerals by which the hardness of a

mineral may be rated.

• Luster larenim a fo ecafrus eht morf thgil fo noitcelfer eht:

ytisnetni dna ytilauq sti yb debircsed
• streak: the color of a mineral in its powdered form, usually obtained by scratching
the mineral on a streak plate and observing the mark it leaves.

• specific gravity: the ratio of the weight of a given volume of a substance to the
weight of an equal volume of water.

• cleavage: the breaking of a mineral along regularly oriented planes

of weakness, thus reflecting crystal structure.
• conchoidal fracture: a type of mineral fracture that gives a smoothly curved surface.