MINERAL PROPERTIES

Physical Properties
1. Color
  1. Color is one of the most obvious properties of a mineral, but is often limited diagnostic value
2. Luster
  1. metallic luster
  2. Vitreous luster
  3. pearly luster
  4. earthy luster
  5. waxy luster
3. Streak
  1. The streak is obtained by scratching the mineral in a piece of unpolished white porcelain called scratched plate.
  2. The streak refers to the color of the mineral powder
4. Hardness
  1. Hardness is the istance of a scratched mineral by other materials.
5. Cleavage and Fracture
6. Density
  1. Density= m/v
Chemical Properties
1. Reaction with Acid
  1. Some minerals, especially carbonate minerals, react visibly with acid. (Usually, a dilute hydrochloric acid [HCl] is used.)
2. Taste, Odor
  1. Some minerals have a distinctive flavor (halite is salt and obviously tastes like salt). and some a distinctive smell
Additional Properties
1. Special properties help identify some minerals. These properties may not be distinctive enough in most minerals to help with their identification. or they may be present only in certain minerals.
2. Magnetism
  1. Some minerals are attracted by a magnet..
3. Refringence
  1. Rays of light are deflected of his career when they pass a transparent mineral.

Resource summary

	Created by Martina Cattaneo Bodner about 3 years ago

	Copied by eloy garcia about 3 years ago