Questions:
1. What is meant by a crystalline substance?
2. What is a crystal?
3. How do cleavage planes differ from crystal faces?
4. What are the major chemical types of minerals?
5. Which properties of minerals can be different in different
specimens, and which remain the same in all specimens of the same
mineral?
| Mineral Identification
1. You will now be given a set of different mineral specimens. Observe the physical characteristics and make the necessary tests to fill in the table. (Tip: Fill out the table vertically in columns, not across in rows - this way, you will practice your laboratory technique for each type of test.) 2. After you have listed the properties, consult the mineral identification tables and identify each mineral. Note that none of these minerals belong to the silicates, so you should avoid anything identified by the word "silicate" or the chemical symbol "Si." (HINTS: There may be more than one variety of the same mineral name. There is nothing special about the term "non-silicates," nor do they necessarily have any common properties - they were assigned to you first because silicates share very similar physical properties and are thus more difficult to identify than non-silicates, for beginners.) 3. Compare these minerals with those that were assigned during the previous lab. On your future lab exam, you should know how to identify these non-silicate minerals by their variety name. 4. Check with your instructor when you have finished. |
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