scientific testing of minerals

Scientific Testing of Minerals Activity – Key Mining Matters Instructions: Determine the identity of your samples by comparing their properties with the descriptions listed in the key. Start at the left, and work your way to the right while progressively narrowing the possibilities. Black; streak charcoal gray-black; strongly magnetic; may conduct electricity; hardness 6 MAGNETITE Brass yellow; cubic crystals; hardness 6 to 6.5 PYRITE Brass yellow-green, may be tarnished purple; streak green-black; conducts electricity; hardness 3.5 – 4 CHALCOPYRITE Shiny gray; very heavy; cubic cleavage; conducts electricity; hardness 2.5 GALENA Yellow-brown; streak white to pale yellow; resinous lustre; magnetic; conducts electricity; hardness 3.5 to 4 SPHALERITE Gray-black, red-brown; streak red- brown; metallic, dull; weakly magnetic; hardness 5.5 to 6.5 HEMATITE Clear, white, or grey; glassy; streak white; shell-like fracture; hardness 7 QUARTZ Purple; streak white, colourless; glassy; shell-like fracture; hardness 7 AMETHYST Colourless to white; streak white; glassy; cubic cleavage; hardness 2.5; salty taste HALITE White or yellow to colourless; streak white or gray; glassy dull; hardness 3; fizzes with dilute acid; double image seen when crystal is placed on printed page CALCITE White to transparent; streak white; glassy or pearly; hardness 2; soft but not as soft as talc GYPSUM Green, gray to white or yellow; streak white; pearly or greasy; hardness 1; very soft TALC Scientific Testing of Minerals Mineral Identification Key No cleavage Cleavage Non-metallic, light coloured Black, green- black, or dark green streak Brown or white streak Metallic lustre

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Determine the identity of your samples by comparing their properties with the descriptions listed in the key. Only selected metallic and non metallic minerals are listed. **Reference document used at 2013 EdGEO Teacher Workshop at GACMAC 2013. Presented by Mining Matters**

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Scientific Testing of Minerals Activity – Key Mining Matters

Instructions: Determine the identity of your samples by comparing their properties with the descriptions listed in the key. Start at the left, and work your way to the right while progressively narrowing the possibilities.

Black; streak charcoal gray-black; strongly magnetic; may conduct electricity; hardness 6

MAGNETITE

Brass yellow; cubic crystals; hardness 6 to 6.5

PYRITE

Brass yellow-green, may be tarnished purple; streak green-black; conducts electricity; hardness 3.5 – 4

CHALCOPYRITE

Shiny gray; very heavy; cubic cleavage; conducts electricity; hardness 2.5

GALENA

Yellow-brown; streak white to pale yellow; resinous lustre; magnetic; conducts electricity; hardness 3.5 to 4

SPHALERITE

Gray-black, red-brown; streak red-brown; metallic, dull; weakly magnetic; hardness 5.5 to 6.5

HEMATITE

Clear, white, or grey; glassy; streak white; shell-like fracture; hardness 7

QUARTZ

Purple; streak white, colourless; glassy; shell-like fracture; hardness 7

AMETHYST

Colourless to white; streak white; glassy; cubic cleavage; hardness 2.5; salty taste

HALITE

White or yellow to colourless; streak white or gray; glassy dull; hardness 3; fizzes with dilute acid; double image seen when crystal is placed on printed page

CALCITE

White to transparent; streak white; glassy or pearly; hardness 2; soft but not as soft as talc

GYPSUM

Green, gray to white or yellow; streak white; pearly or greasy; hardness 1; very soft

TALC

Scientific Testing of Minerals

Mineral Identification Key

No c

leavage

Cle

avage

Non

-meta

llic

, ligh

t colo

ure

Black, green-

black, or

dark green

streak

Brown or

white

streak