Identifying Minerals

Chapter 3 Lesson 1

Big Ideas

• The properties of rocks and minerals reflect the processes that formed them.

• How to identify common rock-forming minerals (including quartz, calcite, feldspar, mica, and hornblende) and ore minerals using a table of diagnostic properties.

Here’s the story...

Glen and Lindy are both learning about minerals at school. Lindy tells Glen

that only scientists can identify the type of mineral a sample is. Glen tells Lindy that

she is wrong. He tells her that he can identify minerals by their hardness.

What do we need to investigate?

Key Vocabulary

• Mohs' hardness scale - shows the hardness of a few common minerals.

• Hardness - a property that refers to a mineral’s ability to scratch or be scratched by another mineral.

• Minerals - natural, nonliving substances that make up rocks.

Focus Question:

• How can hardness be used to identify minerals?

Prediction:

• I think that we (will or will not) be able to identify the different minerals because......

Kit Inventory:

• Mineral samples

• Penny

• Iron nail

• Finger nail

Plan:

•Step 1:Take sample one and scratch it with your fingernail, a penny, and an iron nail. Record your observations.

•Step 2: Use Mohs' hardness table on page 144 and the identification table on page 145 in science book to name the mineral.

•Step 3: Repeat steps one and two with the other samples.

Gathering Information and Data:

SampleSamplescratched scratched

with with fingernailfingernail

Scratched Scratched with pennywith penny

Scratched Scratched with an iron with an iron

nailnail

Mohs' Mohs' Hardness Hardness

ScaleScale

Mineral Mineral NameName

11

22

33

Claims and Evidence

Claims Evidence

I claim that.... because...

1. Sample one is ________________ 1

2. Sample two is ________________ 2.

3. Sample three is _______________ 3.

Claims and EvidenceStatements:

•I claim that sample one is ____________ because ________________________.

•(You must have three claim statements.)

Conclusion:

OR

OR

• In conclusion....

• Today I learned....

• The evidence showed that

Reflection• What really surprised me about the investigation

was.... OR• I wonder if....OR

• I used to think....but now I think...OR

• Questions I have now are....