MINERAL PROPERTIES

MINERAL PROPERTIES

1. They are/have

   • Solid
   • Natural
   • inorganic
   • Fixed composition
   • Crystalline structure
     • formed by
       • Crystals
         • in a process called
           • Crystallization
             • depends on
               • Time
               • Space
               • Temperature

2. identified by

   • MINERAL PROPERTIES
     • divided in
       • OPTICAL PROPERTIES
         • include
           • Luster
             • defined as
               • how the light is reflected
                 • types
                   • Metallic
                   • Non Metallic
                   • Silky
                   • Pearly
                   • others
           • Colour
             • defined as
               • mineral's surface colour
                 • some of them are very characeristic, others can vary
                   • ex: Quartz
           • Streak
             • defined as
               • mineral's powder colour
                 • is more reliable than colour
             • how
               • Scrape the mineral across a porcelain plate or tile
           • Crystal shape
             • defined as
               • The general shape of the crystal
       • PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
         • include
           • Hardness
             • defined as
               • resistance to being scratched
             • measured in
               • Mohs scale
                 • from
                   • 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest)
                 • to test
                   • objects
           • Fracture
             • The tendency to break but NOT in planes
           • Cleveage
             • Tendency to break in certain planes
       • OTHER PROPERTIES
         • Magnetism
           • ability to be attracted by a magnet
         • Electrical conductivity
           • ability to allow an electrical flow