Mineral Properties

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What are the physical properties used to identify minerals?
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The physical properties include color, luster, streak, hardness, cleavage, fracture, density, and crystal form.
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What is Mohs hardness scale?
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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.
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How does luster help in identifying minerals?
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Luster describes how a mineral reflects light, helping classify it as metallic or non-metallic (e.g., glassy, pearly, resinous).
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What is mineral cleavage?
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Cleavage is the tendency of minerals to break along flat planar surfaces as determined by the structure of its crystal lattice.
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Why is color not a reliable property for mineral identification?
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Color can vary widely within a single mineral species due to impurities, making it unreliable for identification.
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What does streak reveal about a mineral?
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Streak reveals the true color of a mineral's powder, which is often more consistent and reliable than the surface color.
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What is the significance of crystal form in minerals?
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Crystal form describes the external shape of a crystal, reflecting the mineral's internal atomic structure and symmetry.
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What distinguishes fracture from cleavage in minerals?
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Fracture describes how a mineral breaks along surfaces not related to its crystal structure, unlike cleavage which follows planes of weakness.
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How does density aid in mineral identification?
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Density, or specific gravity, helps identify minerals by comparing how heavy a mineral feels relative to water volume.
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Which minerals typically have metallic luster?
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Minerals like pyrite, galena, and magnetite generally exhibit metallic luster.
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What role do impurities play in gem quality of minerals?
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Impurities can affect the color and appearance of minerals, often enhancing the gem quality by introducing vibrant colors.
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What is the significance of mineral polymorphs?
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Polymorphs are minerals with the same chemical composition but different crystal structures, e.g., diamond and graphite.
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How does temperature and pressure affect mineral formation?
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Minerals form under specific temperature and pressure conditions, influencing their stability and resulting properties.
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What characterizes silicate minerals?
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Silicate minerals contain silicate tetrahedra, formed from one silicon atom and four oxygen atoms, linked in various patterns.
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What is a mineraloid?
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A mineraloid is a mineral-like substance that lacks a crystalline structure, such as opal or obsidian.
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