Mineral Identification Lab

Introduction: In this lab activity you will become familiar with minerals and identifying
their different properties. This lab will also introduce you to the deductive process
where you will utilize the results of each property test to identify the name of the mineral
from an established key.

Materials:
15 unidentified Minerals Magnet
Streak plate Penny
Nail

Procedure:
1. Place your name, date, and class period top of this sheet.
2. Read through the Pre-lab worksheet and answer the questions (page 2 &
3).
3. Self-check your answers at one of the stations set up around the room.
4. Get a mineral kit. Go through and test each mineral for:
Hardness Cleavage/fracture
Color Heft
Streak Luster
5. Be sure to record all information in the data table
YOU WILL NOT KNOW THE MINERAL NAME TILL THE END OF THE LAB.
6. As youre testing your minerals, be sure to record your findings on your
record sheet
7. After you have tested all 15 minerals for all 6 properties, compare your
test results for each mineral to the established mineral chart in the back.
Use this chart to identify the mineral name.

What did you learn after completing this activity? Write a conclusion paragraph below:
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Mineral identification Lab: Pre-lab worksheet

Property Descriptions and Testing Procedures:

Color: This is probably the most easily observed property of minerals. However, color
often varies widely and is the least reliable property for identification.

Streak: The color of the mineral when powdered. To test for streak, draw the mineral
against an unglazed porcelain tile (streak plate). Streak is more useful for identification
than color is.

Hardness: A minerals hardness is its resistance to scratching. Mohs Scale of

Hardness, this scale uses common everyday objects to test hardness of each mineral
sample. Below is the resulting table.

Mohs scale of Hardness

Rating Object used to test Hardness
1
2 Fingernail-2.5
3 Penny-3.5
4 Nail-4.5
5 Glass-5.5
6 Steel file-6.5
7 Streak plate-7
8-10 Diamond -10

Cleavage or fracture: These two properties refer to the way in which a mineral breaks.
Cleavage is an orderly breakage in well-defined planes, meaning the mineral has flat
sides. Fracture is a random breakage. If a mineral breaks with rough, random surfaces, it
is said to have fracture.

Heft: Compare the relative heft of a mineral by holding it in your hand and comparing
it to other minerals of about the same size. In general, metallic minerals are heavier than
non-metallic minerals. For ease, minerals are classified as 1.) light, 2.) heavy, 3.) very
heavy.

Luster: Refers to the way that a mineral reflects light. The simplest distinction is
between metallic luster (shiny and gold or silver color) and nonmetallic luster (does not
look like a metal in color, although it may be shiny). Particular types of nonmetallic
luster include pearly, vitreous (glassy), resinous (has the appearance of resin), silky, and
earthy (dull).

Other Tests:

MAGNET TEST: if one of your rocks is attracted to a magnet, it may be magnetite. But
check all the other properties too because other iron ores are also easily magnetized.
Mineral identification Lab: Pre-lab worksheet
Read through the lab handed out to you. Answer the following questions before you
begin your lab.

1. What are the 6 properties used to identify minerals

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

2. Briefly describe how you would test a mineral for each of these properties
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

3. What tool is used to determine the streak of a mineral?

Answer:___________

4. What is the name of the scale used to determine hardness?

Answer:___________

5. What is the difference between cleavage and fracture?

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6. What are the two major categories of luster?

Answer:_______________ Answer:________________

7. List the various descriptions for Non-Metallic Luster

Mineral Name Color Streak Hardness Cleavage HEFT Luster Magnetic?
or Light, Metallic/Non-
Fracture Medium, Metallic
Heavy
Mineral Name Possible Colors Streak Hardness Cleavage HEFT Luster Other
(how many Light, Metallic/Non- Properties
planes) Medium, Metallic
or Heavy
Fracture
Fluorite Green, yellow, White 4 Cleaves Medium Vitreous
purple (glassy)
Biotite Brown None 2.5-3 Cleaves 1 plane Light Vitreous, glassy Very flexible

Calcite Clear to milky, White 3 Cleavage Light Glassy to earthy Mineral takes a
orange, blue rhombic shape
Reacts with acid
Feldspar Gray, green Colorless 6 Two planes of Light Vitreous
orange cleavage that (glassy)
meet at right
angles
Graphite Grey Grey 1.2 Cleavage Light Metallic to
Dull

Alabaster Pinkish-white, White 1.5-2 scratches Cleaves Light Pearly-Earthy

Gypsum white, grey, with fingernail
reddish-brown
Mineral Name Possible Colors Streak Hardness Cleavage HEFT Luster Other
(how many Light, Metallic/Non- Properties
planes) Medium, Metallic
or Heavy
Fracture
Halite Clear, white None 2.5 Cleaves at right Light Transparent Tastes salty
angles
Hematite Black, grey, Reddish-brown 5.5-6.5 Fracture Heavy Metallic or rusty
reddish-brown
Magnetite Grey-black Black 6 Non cleavage, Heavy Metallic magnetic
but octahedral
parting
Muscovite Clear, white, Colorless, light 2-2.5 Cleaves in 1 Light Glassy to pearly Flat flexible
light brown brown plane crystals

Pyrite Golden-brassy, Greenish black 6-6.5 Fracture Medium Metallic

yellow
Quartz Clear, white, None 7 No cleavage, Light Vitreous
purple, rose, but conchoidal (glassy)
grey fracture
Satin Spar White, Grey White 2 Fracture Light Silky
Gypsum

Selenite Colorless White 2 Cleaves into 1 Light Transparent

Gypsum plane

Talc White, green White 1 Cleaves Light Pearly-greasy Powdery-greasy

feel