Mineral Identification lab Use your knowledge about rocks to examine and identif
ID: 152615 • Letter: M
Question
Mineral Identification lab Use your knowledge about rocks to examine and identify different rock samples. Record several characteristics of each rock sample including their color, mineral composition and texture Strategies for classifying rocks include, descriptions based on their composition, look and feel Sketch each rock sample used Explain Some of the simple tests that can be used to identify rocks. . Differentiate among some of the common rocks The Rocks that need to be examined are below Halite Obsidian . Quartz Calcite FluoriteExplanation / Answer
MINERAL IDENTIFICATION
HALITE
Formula: NaCl
Color: Colorless, whitish, yellow, red, purple, or blue
Luster: Vitreous
Hardness: 2½
Streak: White
Tenacity: Brittle
Transparency: Transparent, Translucent
Fracture: Conchoidal
Distinguishing features- Salty taste, softnesss, and crystals formation
OBSIDIAN
Color: black, bluish, mahogany etc the colors due largely to refraction by microscopic bubbles.
Luster: Vitreous
Fracture: Conchoidal
Mohs Hardness: 5 to 5.5
Cleavage: Absent
QUARTZ
Formula: SiO2
Color: Colorless, purple, rose, red, black, yellow, brown, green, blue, orange, etc.
Luster: Vitreous
Hardness: 7
Transparency-Transparent to opaque
Tenacity-Brittle
Distinguishing features-Some specimens fluoresce, especially white and green. Triboluminescent and Piezoelectric. Dissolves in hydrofluoric acid
CALCITE
Formula: CaCO3
Color: White, Yellow, Red, Orange, Blue, Green, Brown, Gray etc.
Luster: Vitreous, Sub-Vitreous, Resinous, Waxy, Pearly
Hardness: 3
Tenacity: Brittle
Fracture: Conchoidal
Streak: white
Distinguishing Properties: At room temperatures it will easily react to dilute acid to effervescence
FLOURITE
Formula: CaF2
Commodity: Fluorite (Fluorspar)
Color: Purple, lilac, golden-yellow, green, colorless, blue, pink, champagne, brown.
Luster: Vitreous, Dull
Hardness: 4
Transparencies: Transparent
Streak: White
Tenacity: Brittle
Cleavage: Perfect
Parting: Indistinct parting
Fracture: Splintery, Sub-Conchoidal
Distinguishing properties- fluoresce, or glow, under ultraviolet light