Earth and

Life Science 11
Earth and Life Science – Grade 11
Quarter 1 – Module 3: Physical and Chemical Properties of Minerals
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education Division of Pasig City

Development Team of the Self-Learning Module

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Earth and
Life Science 11
Quarter 1
Self-Learning Module 3
Physical and Chemical
Properties of Minerals
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Earth and Life Science Self-Learning Module 3 on Physical

and Chemical Properties of Minerals

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
 For the Learner:

Welcome to the Earth and Life Science Self-Learning Module 3 on Physical

and Chemical Properties of Minerals

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest – This measures how much you have learned from the
entire module.
 EXPECTATION
This module is designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the lesson on the physical and chemical properties of rocks forming minerals.
The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations.
The language used recognizes your diverse vocabulary level. The lessons are
arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you
read them can be changed to correspond with the other learning materials you are
now using.

The module is about the physical and chemical properties of rock forming
minerals.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

a. describe the different physical characteristics and chemical properties of
minerals;
b. create a presentation about the physical and chemical properties of
minerals; and
c. emphasize the importance of knowing the physical and chemical properties
of minerals in order to identify their own kind.

PRETEST
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. Which of the following is a characteristic of minerals?

a. They are present in our nature like woods and pearls

b. They are insoluble and organic materials described by chemical

composition.
c. They are inorganic materials that have naturally occurring chemical
compounds.
d. They are secreted by the animals and plants and undergo complicated
processes

2. Diamonds are said to be girl’s best friend due to its role as a gemstone, price
and being rare but aside from those characteristics, it tops a certain scale that
determines its ability to scratch another materials or minerals. Which of the
following describes this property?

a. Crystal Formation c. Luster

b. Hardness d. Specific gravity
3. Which of the following sets are the examples of mineral?
a. Amphiboles, Feldspar, Garnet, Quartz
b. Andesite, Basalt, Diorite, Granite,
c. Clay, Conglomerate, Limestone, Sandstone,
d. Gneiss, Marble, Schist, Slate
4. Talc is the softest mineral. What is the scale used in identifying the hardness of
minerals?
a. Mineral’s Scale c. Mohs Scale
b. Mercalli’s Scale d. Richter’ s Scale

5. You encounter a mineral in a vein within a rock, which a Geologist tells you is
either quartz, calcite, or gypsum. You can scratch it with a knife blade, but not
your fingernail. Which is it?
a. Calcite b. Gypsum c. Quartz d. Talc

RECAP

Write TRUE if the statement is correct and change the underlined words or phrases
if the statement is false. Put it on the space provided.
____________________1. Earth is classified as an open system
____________________2. Threshold is a condition that causes systems to change
dramatically.
____________________3. Various aspects of an ecosystem are linked together
showing the overlapping connection of subsystems.
____________________4. Water cycle is a phenomenon where in biosphere is
coordinating with the atmosphere.
____________________5. Geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and stratosphere are
the four basic spheres of the Earth.
It is nice to know that you can still remember that lesson. Earth as a
terrestrial planet is composed of rocks and minerals. Rocks are part of our Earth’s
geosphere.

LESSON

Rocks are everywhere. A rock is a relatively hard, naturally

formed aggregate of mineral matter or petrified matter. Rocks are mixtures and may
consist of one or more minerals, but may include organic matter and other non-
mineral substances, such as gases and water.
 The mineral composition of a rock reflects the physical environment and
geologic history where a rock formed. Rock forms in a variety of geologic setting
ranging from locations on or near the surface, deep underground, or even in outer
space. Most of the rocks we see on the surface of our planet formed by processes that
happened long ago. However, we can see these processes that form rocks actively
taking place in many places today. Rapid rock formation can be seen happening such
as lava cooling from a volcanic eruption in places like Batangas and Albay . However,
most rocks we see around us form very slowly in settings that may not be visible on
the land's surface.
Let’s look around near your house. Have you seen a place without rocks? It
is always a part of the Earth that we cannot separate from its origin. The picture
below is one of Tanay, Rizal’s impressive platform that is made from limestone that
contains calcium carbonate, calcite and small particles such as quartz, feldspar, clay
minerals,siderite and many other minerals.

Figure 1 . Rock Formations in Tanay, Rizal

Earth as a terrestrial planet is composed of rocks and minerals. Scientists
have identified over 4,000 different minerals. A small group of these minerals make
up almost 90% of the rocks of Earth’s crust. These minerals are known as the
common rock-forming minerals. Minerals are composed of elements such as those
found in the periodic table. Each mineral is unique but they generally exhibit the
following characteristics.

• They are naturally-occurring chemical compounds.

• They are inorganic.
• They are homogeneous solids.
• Although not fixed, each mineral has a definite chemical composition
which can be described by a chemical formula.
• Each mineral’s structure arranges atoms in crystalline pattern.

Some minerals are made up of only one element. Minerals such gold, graphite,
diamond, copper, are made up of only one element. The elemental composition of a
mineral is due to its unique physical properties. Here is the list of the physical
properties of minerals.

1. Luster describes the appearance of minerals when light is reflected from it.
2. Streak is the color of the powdered mineral produced when it drugged across a
surface.
3. Color is caused by the absorption or lack thereof, of visible light by their
crystalline structure.

4. Hardness is a mineral’s ability to resist scratching or abrasion. It is determined

by comparing the relative hardness of an unknown specimen with another mineral
with known hardness. Mineral samples are tested for hardness against a set of
index minerals scaled from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest). This is known as Mohs Scale
of Hardness.

Scale Indicator Mineral Common Objects

Number
1 Talc
2 Gypsum Fingernail
3 Calcite Copper coin
4 Fluorite
5 Apatite Knife blade
6 Orthoclase Window glass
7 Quartz Steel file
8 Topaz
9 Corundum
10 Diamond
Table 2 Mohs Scale of Hardness and Common Objects Scale
Source: GEOLOGY LABORATORY: MINERAL PROPERTIES
https://www.saddleback.edu/faculty/jrepka/notes/GEOmineralLAB_1.pdf

5. Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to split or cleave along planes of

weakness. Minerals that break easily and cleanly along one or more planes are
said to have good cleavage.

6. Specific gravity is a measure of relative density of a mineral. It is determined by

comparing relative mass to water. A mineral with a specific gravity of 3.0 is three
times heavier than an equal volume of water. Specific gravity is not expressed in
units of any kind, as it is a ratio.

Specific gravity= Mass of mineral/ Mass of equal volume of water.

7. Fracture is a description of the way a mineral tends to break. It is different

from cleavage and parting which are generally clean flat breaks along specific
directions. Fracture occurs in all minerals even ones with cleavage, although a lot of
cleavage directions can diminish the appearance of fracture surfaces. Different
minerals will break in different ways and leave a surface that can be described in a
recognizable way. Is the broken area smooth? Irregular? Jagged? Splintery? These
are some of the ways of describing fracture.

8. Crystallization is natural process on how atom or molecules are highly

organized in a structure.

9. Tenacity refers to a mineral's resistance to breaking, bending, or otherwise being

deformed.

Aside from physical properties of rocks-forming minerals, some of them may

exhibit reactions to acids or other substances depending on their chemical
components. Certain minerals will effervesce (bubble) when dilute hydrochloric acid
is applied to their surface. There are minerals that contain carbonate anions such
as calcite, dolomite and aragonite. The amount of effervescence depends upon how
soluble the mineral is.

Other rock-forming minerals may show magnetism that allow to attract or

repel other magnetic materials.

Magnetic properties of minerals may be ferromagnetic which may show strong

attraction to magnetic field. It is exhibited by minerals such as Magnetite and
Pyrrhotite. Secondly paramagnetic minerals which may show weak attraction to
magnetic field but some of these minerals may become strongly magnetic when
heated. Example of this is platinum but may contain iron impurities that is
responsible for being paramagnetic. We also have Hematite and Franklinite. Lastly,
diamagnetic minerals which can repel magnetic field particularly Bismuth. So to
explore this lesson, let’s do some activities.

ACTIVITIES
Physical Properties of Minerals
Activity 1
I. Objective

a. Identify what are the characteristics of minerals that you gather.

b. List the physical properties of minerals.
II. Materials

Rocks/mineral Pen and paper Coin Books about Rocks or Internet

III. Procedure

1. Look for 3 minerals that can be found inside your house.

2. Label the minerals A, B, and C.
3. Observe the color and distinguishing features of the minerals.
4. Scratch the mineral with a coin and your fingernail and if it can be
scratched, write yes with the last two columns. Write no if it can't be scratched.
IV. Observation
Minerals Color Distinguishing Can be Can be
Features scratched scratched
by by coins
fingernails (can or
(can or cannot be)
cannot be)

Table 2 :Observation Table for color, feature and hardness

V. Guide Questions
1. Based on your data above, what are the observable characteristics of minerals
you gather?
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Can you mention other physical properties of minerals aside from the things
you mention?
__________________________________________________________________________________
VI. Conclusion
______________________________________________________________________________
To apply the physical properties to specific rock-forming minerals, let’s do
the second activity.

Rock-Forming Minerals Slideshow

Activity 2
I. Objectives

a. Make a slide show of a rock-forming mineral of your choice and identify

its physical properties.
b. Share the importance of your chosen rock-forming mineral.

II. Materials

Internet
Cellphone or laptop

III. Procedure

1. Look for a common rock-forming mineral in the internet.

2. Identify its physical and chemical properties.

3. Report it online in the presence of your teacher.

IV. Guide Questions

1. What are the physical properties of the rock-forming mineral of your choice?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. What are common usage of the rock-forming mineral of your choice?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

V. Conclusion
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Aside from physical properties of rocks, they have also chemical compositions
that is capable in reacting with another element or compounds. Let’s do the next
activity to determine some of the chemical properties of rock forming minerals.
 Chemical Properties of Minerals
Activity 3
I. Objectives

a. List some of the chemical properties of minerals

b. Show the reactions of minerals with known acid.

II. Materials
Minerals Diluted Muriatic acid
Pen and paper Books about Minerals or Internet
Magnet

III. Procedure

1. Look for 5 minerals having different characteristics inside your house.

2. Hold the magnet and put it nearer to each mineral
3. Drop of little diluted muriatic acid on each mineral. Please observe
proper precautionary method in handling the acid. Wear mask while doing this.
4. Observe what will happen and write it down on the table provided.

IV. Observation

Minerals Attraction to Magnet Reaction to Muriatic Acid

Table 3.3 Attraction to Magnet and Reaction to acid Observation Table

V. Guide Questions

1. How minerals react with acid?

__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Are your minerals attracted to magnet? Why yes and why not?
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Aside from the reactions with acid, what are the other chemical properties of
rock-forming minerals?
__________________________________________________________________________________

VI. Conclusion
________________________________________________________________________________
Let us summarize all, by doing the wrap-up activity below.

WRAP–UP

Instructions: Put a check mark on the physical and chemical properties of

minerals.
___________1. All rock-forming minerals can effervesce when dissolve in liquid.
___________2. Some rock-forming minerals may show a nonmetallic property.
___________3. Color and Streak are the same in identifying physical properties of
rock-forming minerals.
___________4. A mineral with metallic luster is very reflective.
___________5. Minerals that break easily and cleanly along one or more planes are
said to have good cleavage.
___________6. Hardness is determined by mineral samples scaled from 1(softest) to
5(hardest).
___________7. All rock-forming minerals are magnetic.
___________8. Each mineral has definite chemical compositions.
___________9. Color should be used in conjunction with other physical properties
for mineral identification.
___________10. Mineral’s luster can be greasy, silky, earthy and vitreous.

VALUING

Every kind of mineral is unique. Some of them are structured through

tremendous heat and pressure just like with people who are experiencing hardship
and great challenges that turns them into their better forms and transformations.
Your character as a person will be the one to make you rare, shine and shimmer like
an expensive stone. If you are a kind of a gemstone, what will you be and why? What
are the characteristics of that rare mineral that is similar to you? (In a form of
recitation or written work)

POSTTEST

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a mineral?

a. They are soluble and organic materials.
 b. Each mineral structure has arranged atoms in crystalline form.
c. They are inorganic materials that have naturally occurring chemical
compounds.
d. They have definite chemical compositions which can be described by a
chemical formula.

2. Quartz is used as oscillators in radios, watches, and pressure gauges, and in the
study of optics. It is also used as an abrasive for sandblasting, grinding glass, and
cutting soft stones. Based on the Mohs Scale of Hardness table below, which mineral
can scratch Quartz?
Index Mineral Scale
Diamond 10
Corundum 9
Topaz 8
Quartz 7
Orthoclase 6
Apatite 5
Fluorite 4
Calcite 3
Gypsum 2
Talc 1
Table 3.4 Mohs Scale of Hardness

a. Calcite b. Fluorite c. Talc d. Topaz

3. What physical property is shown in the image below?

Source: GEOLOGY LABORATORY: MINERAL PROPERTIES

https://www.saddleback.edu/faculty/jrepka/notes/GEOmineralLAB_1.pdf.

Figure 3.2 Physical Property shown in the image

a. Hardness b. Luster d. Specific gravity d. Streak

4. Which of the following are the characteristics of minerals?

a. Acidity, composition, solubility, structure, weight

b. Brightness, color density, weight, Volume
c. Color, cleavage, hardness, luster, streak,
d. Mass, specific gravity, surface quality, taste
5. If a common object like steel file, glass, knife blade, wire nail, penny and fingernail
have their specific scale of hardness based on Table 3.1, which of the following rock-
forming minerals has the ability to scratch all these things?

a. Apatite b. Diamond c. Orthoclase d. Talc

KEY TO CORRECTION

Atmosphere 5.
Hydrosphere 4.
class group chat. True 3.
5. b teacher through your True 2.
4. c consult your Science Closed system 1.
3. d students. You may
2.d Recap
observations of the
1. a 5. a
views and
Post-test 4. c
depending on the
3. a
check answers may vary 2. b
2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 with For Activity 3.1-3.3 1. c
Wrap up What's More Pretest

References

Book

Olivar II, Jose Tolentino and Anna Cherylle Morales-Ramos. Exploring Through
Science Series: Earth and Life Sciences Series Phoenix Publishing House Inc,.
2016

Webpages

GEOLOGY LABORATORY: MINERAL PROPERTIES Last Revised August 27, 2012

https://www.saddleback.edu/faculty/jrepka/notes/GEOmineralLAB_1.pdf.

What is fracture? Last Modified 2014

http://www.galleries.com/minerals/property/fracture.htm