Mineral Properties

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What are the physical properties used to identify minerals?

The physical properties include color, luster, streak, hardness, cleavage, fracture, density, and crystal form.

What is Mohs hardness scale?

Mohs hardness scale is a scale from 1 to 10 used to determine a mineral's hardness by its ability to scratch or be scratched by other substances.

How does luster help in identifying minerals?

Luster describes how a mineral reflects light, helping classify it as metallic or non-metallic (e.g., glassy, pearly, resinous).

What is mineral cleavage?

Cleavage is the tendency of minerals to break along flat planar surfaces as determined by the structure of its crystal lattice.

Why is color not a reliable property for mineral identification?

Color can vary widely within a single mineral species due to impurities, making it unreliable for identification.

What does streak reveal about a mineral?

Streak reveals the true color of a mineral's powder, which is often more consistent and reliable than the surface color.

What is the significance of crystal form in minerals?

Crystal form describes the external shape of a crystal, reflecting the mineral's internal atomic structure and symmetry.

What distinguishes fracture from cleavage in minerals?

Fracture describes how a mineral breaks along surfaces not related to its crystal structure, unlike cleavage which follows planes of weakness.

How does density aid in mineral identification?

Density, or specific gravity, helps identify minerals by comparing how heavy a mineral feels relative to water volume.

Which minerals typically have metallic luster?

Minerals like pyrite, galena, and magnetite generally exhibit metallic luster.

What role do impurities play in gem quality of minerals?

Impurities can affect the color and appearance of minerals, often enhancing the gem quality by introducing vibrant colors.

What is the significance of mineral polymorphs?

Polymorphs are minerals with the same chemical composition but different crystal structures, e.g., diamond and graphite.

How does temperature and pressure affect mineral formation?

Minerals form under specific temperature and pressure conditions, influencing their stability and resulting properties.

What characterizes silicate minerals?

Silicate minerals contain silicate tetrahedra, formed from one silicon atom and four oxygen atoms, linked in various patterns.

What is a mineraloid?

A mineraloid is a mineral-like substance that lacks a crystalline structure, such as opal or obsidian.

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