Science

Quarter 1 – Module 3
Rock Forming Minerals

Images from: https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos and https://www.needpix.com/photo

Science– Grade 11
Quarter 1 – Rock-forming Minerals

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any
work of the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government
agency or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such
work for profit. Such agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition
the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names,
trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective copyright holders.
Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials
from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent
nor claim ownership over them.

Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad

Assistant Regional Director: Jessie L. Amin

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Joni S. Aborde

Editors: Emily B. Esmabe

Reviewers: Benjie O. Cadag; Chozara P. Duroy

Illustrator: Frances C. Morales

Layout Artist: Christy R. Dawal, Antonio L. Morada

1
Identify common rock-forming minerals
using their physical and chemical
properties.
(S11/12ES-1a-9)

2
Dear Learners,

Rocks compose the Earth’s lithosphere. Minerals, on the other hand, are the
building blocks of rocks. Minerals are inorganic matter found in nature. Like rocks,
minerals are important natural resources. We use them in hundreds of ways, from
building the streets to cooking our food. Almost everything we use is made up of
minerals. Minerals are solid substances that are present in nature and can be made
of one element or more elements combined together.

In this module, you will learn about rock-forming minerals and their properties.

After studying this module, you are expected to Identify common rock-forming
minerals using their physical and chemical properties.(S11/12ES-1a-9)

Specifically, you are to:

1. distinguish minerals from non-minerals;
2. demonstrate understanding about properties of minerals;
3. identify rock-forming minerals using their properties; and
4. recognize the importance of rock-forming minerals to society.

Let us define important terms you will encounter in this module.

Mineral- a naturally-occurring inorganic substance with a definite chemical

composition and unique crystalline structure.

Inorganic substances- those that are not derived from a living matter.

3
Crystal- a solid material composed of an element, a compound or a mixture whose
internal arrangement of atoms or molecules exhibits a repetitive pattern.
Mass -the amount of material present in an object.

Volume - the amount of space occupied by an object.

Water Displacement Method -a means of finding the volume of a solid by submerging

it into water. The volume of the solid is equal to the amount of water it displaces.

Reniform- kidney-shaped.

Splendent- shiny and radiant.

Before we proceed, let us find out what you already know about minerals. Choose
and write the letter of the best answer in your notebook.

1. Which of the following is a characteristic of a mineral?

a. It is inorganic.
b. It is solid at room temperature.
c. It has definite chemical composition.
d. a, b and c

2. Which property can be used to identify a mineral?

I. color II. streak III. luster IV. hardness
a. a. I, II and III only
b. II, III and IV
c. I, III and IV
d. all of them
3. What mineral is the hardest according to Mohs Scale?
a. talc
b. quartz
c. calcite
d. diamond

4. A mineral is harder than glass but softer than steel. What mineral is being referred
to?
a. talc
b. topaz
c. gypsum
d. feldspar

4
5. Which property is NOT so reliable in identifying a mineral?
a. color
b. streak
c. density
d. specific gravity

Let us see if you can still recall the different Earth subsystems. Identify what
subsystem is represented by each item below. Write the answer in your notebook.

_________________ 1. air
_________________ 2. rocks
_________________ 3. plants
_________________ 4. oceans
_________________ 5. magma
_________________ 6. oxygen
_________________ 7. glaciers
_________________ 8. humans
_________________ 9. freshwater
_________________ 10. tectonic plates

Let us explore rocks-forming minerals by doing these

activities.

Activity 1
Sugar or Salt?
Sugar and salt must be very familiar to you. Study their pictures below and answer
the questions that follow. Write your answer in your notebook.

Images by Joni S. Aborde, 12/18/2019

5
Guide Questions:

1. In what way are sugar and salt similar?

2. In what way are sugar and salt different?
3. Are sugar and salt both minerals? Explain your answer.
4. What characteristics must a substance possess so that it can be considered as a
mineral?

Activity 2
Which is Which?

Clear quartz and calcite are similar looking minerals. What property of minerals
will you use to identify them? Write your answer in your notebook.

Image by Joni S. Aborde, 12/18/2019

Activity 3
Gold or Not?

Let’s see if you would have the same thought as the girl in the story.

Read the short story in the next page and answer the questions that follow. Write
your answer in your notebook.

6
 It was school break. Dani and her family went to Camarines Norte to visit their
relatives. The province is known for huge gold deposits. Dani was excited! Her
cousins promised to take her to one of the gold mines. She couldn’t wait to see
natural gold!

But one day while taking a fresh bath in a river, she saw a yellow nugget
underwater. She thought of it as gold. Dani couldn’t believe she would have gold
in her hand even before the trip to the mine! She picked up the nugget to examine
it later.

Upon reaching the house, Dani immediately rubbed the yellow nugget against
a broken porcelain plate she found in the backyard. She discovered that it gives a
greenish-black mark. She got a glass and then rubbed it against the nugget. The
nugget scratched the glass. Dani started thinking. Was it gold or not?

Questions:
1. What is the short story about?
2. Where did Dani and her family go? What is this place known for?
3. What did Dani find in the river?
4. What did she think it was?
5. Why do you think Dani thought that way?
6. What property did Dani consider in testing the nugget?
7. If you were Dani, how would you conclude after doing the tests? Was the nugget
actually a gold? Explain.
8. What other tests can be done to verify Dani’s findings?

Brilliant! You are really good at this!

7
 WHAT ARE MINERALS?

Minerals are inorganic substances that are naturally occurring in the environment.
They have a specific chemical composition. Molecules in a mineral are arranged in a
repeated structure that form a solid crystal. These molecules are composed of atoms
of certain elements that are held together by chemical bond. The kind and amount of
elements present in a mineral affect its physical and chemical properties. Table 1
below shows the elements that comprise almost 99 % of rock-forming minerals.

Table 1. Common Mineral-Forming Elements in the Earth’s Crust

Percentage of
Element Symbol Earth’s Crust by Weight
Oxygen O 46.6
Silicon Si 27.7
Aluminum Al 8.1
Iron Fe 5.0
Calcium Ca 3.6
Sodium Na 2.8
Potassium K 2.7
Magnesium Mg 2.1
Other elements 1.4

Properties of Minerals

The chemical properties of minerals comprise their chemical composition. Gold is

made up of only gold atoms and diamond is only made up of carbon atoms. But most
minerals are made up of chemical compounds and each of them has a unique
chemical formula. For example, quartz is a silicate mineral composed of two oxygen
atoms bonded with a silicon dioxide (SiO2) while feldspar is a silicate of aluminum plus
any of the elements sodium, potassium, iron, calcium, or barium or their combinations.
The basic building block for all silicate minerals is the anion silica, SiO4.

Table 2 gives the seven categories of minerals based on their chemical

composition. Minerals within the same group may exhibit similar characteristics.

8
 Table 2. Categories of Minerals According to Chemical Composition
Group Name Composition Example minerals

Native elements only one element gold, diamond

SiO4 (silica) + one or more

Silicates quartz, feldspar
other elements
O2 (oxide) + one or more
Oxides hematite, magnetite,
other elements
SO4 (sulfate) + one of more
Sulfates gypsum, barite
metallic elements
S2 (sulfide) + one or more
Sulfides pyrite, galena
other elements
CO3 (carbonate) + one or
Carbonates calcite, dolomite
more metallic element
halogen + one or more
Halides halite, chlorite
elements

The chemical composition of minerals is expressed in their physical properties

which are used to identify them. These physical properties are given below:

1. Color and streak

Every mineral has its own distinctive color. However, color alone is not enough to
identify a mineral correctly because some minerals may have similar colors. A more
reliable test is the streak test. This test is done by rubbing a mineral against a piece of
porcelain. Streak is the color given by a mineral in its powder form.

https://geology.com/minerals/streak-test.shtml

Figure 1. The streak of a mineral can be different from its color.

2. Luster

The property of a mineral to reflect light is given by its luster. Mineral luster can be
metallic or non-metallic. Metallic luster can be compared to the shine of a polished
metal. Non-metallic luster can be described as dull, pearly, silky, greasy or glassy.

9
 Table 3. Types of Mineral Luster

Type Description
A. metallic opaque and shiny like polished metal
B. nonmetallic
• adamantine sparkly
• vitreous shiny like glass
• pearly milky or like a pearl
• silky fibrous and soft-looking
• resinous like a resin or tree sap
• dull earthy or clay-like
• greasy Oily

3. Hardness

Hardness is the resistance of a mineral to scratching. The Mohs Scale of Hardness

describes the hardness of some common mineral in a 1 to 10 scale.

Table 4. Mohs Scale of Hardness

Hardness
Mineral
(in increasing order)
Talc 1
Gypsum 2
Calcite 3
Fluorite 4
Apatite 5
Feldspar 6
Quartz 7
Topaz 8
Corundum 9
Diamond 10

To identify a mineral, its hardness is usually compared with that of common

objects of known hardness in the Mohs Scale as shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Hardness of Some Common Objects

Common Objects Hardness
fingernail 2.5
piece of copper 2.5 to 3.0
iron nail 4.5
glass 5.5
steel file 6.5
streak plate 7

10
4. Density and Specific gravity

Density describes the amount of matter present in a certain amount of space or

volume. To get mineral density, the mass of a sample is taken using a scale and the
volume is determined through the water displacement method. The density is then
calculated by dividing the mass by the volume of water displaced.

Specific gravity is a measure of a mineral’s density as compared to water. It is

calculated by dividing the density of a mineral by the density of water. A mineral with
a specific gravity of 2 is twice as dense as water.

5. Crystal habit and form

Crystal habit is the growth pattern exhibited by mineral crystals while crystal form
is the external shape of a mineral. Some common crystal habits are cube or cubic,
prismatic, bladed, tabular, radial, botryoidal, fibrous and dendritic. Figure 2 shows the
characteristic appearance of these crystal habits and forms.

Figure 2. Mineral crystals have varying habits and forms.

11
6. Cleavage and fracture

The tendency of a mineral to break along layers of weak points that form flat
surfaces is called cleavage. Fracture refers to the chipping shape of a mineral when
broken.

The quality of cleavage are categorized into the following:

a. Perfect – Mineral cleaves without leaving any rough surfaces forming
full flat planes.
b. Good – Mineral cleaves into smooth surfaces but with some rough
edges.
c. Poor – Cleavage is generally characterized by rough surfaces.
d. Indiscernible or indistinct – Cleavage is hardly noticeable.
e. None – Mineral never exhibit any cleavage. Broken surfaces are
fractured and rough

7. Diaphaneity

Also known as transparency, diaphaneity is the degree by which the mineral

transmit light. It can be described as opaque, translucent or transparent.
a. Opaque – The mineral does not transmit light.
b. Translucent – The mineral allows some amount of light to pass through it
in a distorted fashion.
c. Transparent – The mineral allows transmission of light in an undisturbed
manner.

All the properties discussed above are helpful in identifying minerals. The
table below summarizes the observable properties of some common minerals.

Table 6. Properties of Some Common Minerals

Mineral Properties
Name/ crystal
Color Streak Luster Diaphaneity Hardness
Group habit
transparent
Amethyst white, vitreous hexagonal
purple to 7
(Silicate) colorless glassy prism
translucent
colorless,
white, gray, Waxy, botryoidal,
Chalcedoon blue, any color vitreous, rounded
white translucent 6-7
(Silicate) due to dull, greasy, and
embedded silky stalactitic
minerals,
tetrahedron
Chalcopyrite brassy green-
metallic opaque , commonly 3.5 - 4
(Sulfide) yellow/green black
massive,

12
 sometimes
botryoidal.
Diamond brown or Transparent,
none, octahedral
(Native yellow, adamantine translucent, 10
colorless
element) colorless opaque
purple, green, granular,
Fluorite yellow, transparent massive
(Halide) also colorless, white vitreous to octahedral, 4
blue, red, translucent nodular,
black botryoidal,
Galena lead gray
silver, gray metallic opaque cubic 2.5 +
(Sulfide) to black
Gold
golden
(Native golden yellow metallic opaque granular 2.5 - 3
yellow
element)
Massive,
Gypsum white, transparent flat,
vitreous to
(Sulfate) colorless or white to elongated, 2
pearly
grey translucent generally
prismatic
cubes, but
Halite
also
(Halide) colorless white vitreous transparent 2
granular,
fibrous
Tabular to
thick, platy,
Hematite reddish- metallic or radiating,
grey-black opaque 6 – 6.5
(Oxide) brown dull fibrous,
reniform,
botryoidal
Magnetite
black black metallic, dull opaque octahedral 5.5
(Oxide)
Greenish
Pyrite black to
brass- yellow metallic opaque cubic 6 – 6.5
(Sulfide) brownish
black
transparent
Quartz clear, white or white or 6-sided
vitreous to nearly 7
(Silicate) gray colorless prism
opaque
colorless,
Talc foliated to
white,
(Silicate) white pearly translucent fibrous 1
greenish or
masses
yellowish
orange,
Wulfenite yellow, gray, yellowish resinous- transparent thin tabular
to 2.5 - 3
(Oxide) brown, green, - white greasy to opaque
pyramidal
black

13
Common Rock-forming Minerals

Although there are around 5000 different mineral species, only a few form rocks
and are called “rock-forming minerals”. Most minerals are “accessory minerals” that
occur in small quantities within a rock. The common rock-forming minerals are
plagioclase feldspars, alkali feldspar, quartz, amphiboles, micas, olivine, pyroxenes,
calcite and dolomite.

1. Plagioclase feldspar

Plagioclase feldspar is a group of silicate feldspar minerals that are rich in sodium
or calcium. These minerals form a solid solution series ranging from pure albite,
Na(AlSi3O8), to pure anorthite, Ca(Al2Si2O8). Their color is usually white to gray with
vitreous luster. Their hardness is 6 to 6.5 in the Mohs Scale. Specific gravity is
between 2.5 to 2.8. Crystals are stubby prisms and have perfect cleavage.

Plagioclase feldspar is the most common rock-forming mineral. It is found in most

igneous rocks including granite, diorite, gabbro and basalt. It is an important
constituent of many metamorphic rocks such as gneiss.

Plagioclase feldspar are used in ceramic products, as fillers in paints, plastics and
rubber and as gemstones.

2. Alkali feldspar

Alkali feldspar is another group of silicate feldspar minerals. Minerals under this
group are rich in alkali metal ions. Their composition ranges between NaAlSi3O8 and
KAlSi3O8. They are commonly pink to white in color, with vitreous luster and perfect
cleavage.

Alkali feldspars are very abundant in alkali and acidic igneous rocks like syenites,
granites, and granodiorites.

Alkali feldspar is used to manufacture glass and ceramics and are sometimes
used as gemstones.

3. Quartz

The third largest group of rock-forming minerals is quartz. It is made up of silicon

dioxide (SiO2). Pure quartz is colorless but can have variations in color due to
impurities. It has a white streak and vitreous luster. Its crystals are usually hexagonal
and prismatic. Its hardness is 7 and specific gravity is 2.65.

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals. It is found in many metamorphic,

sedimentary and igneous rocks that are high in silica such as granites and rhyolites.

14
 Quartz is used in making glass, abrasive, foundry sand, hydraulic fracturing
proppant and as gemstones.

4. Mica

Mica is a collection of hydrous potassium, aluminum silicate minerals. It has a

variety of colors that ranges from light to dark. It can be colorless, rosy, purple, silver,
gray, dark green, brown or black. Its luster is described as splendent but some appear
pearly. Its hardness is 2.5 – 4. Specific gravity varies with composition at 2.76 to 3.2.
It cleaves perfectly into thin elastic sheets.

Mica is among the most important rock-forming minerals. It is found in all rock
types – igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

Mica is largely used in the electrical industry as capacitors.

5. Amphiboles

Amphiboles are also silicate minerals. They are generally black or brown in color
but can also be dark green, white, gray, colorless or pale green. They have a white
streak and vitreous luster. Their hardness is about 5-6. Crystal habit can be columnar
to fibrous to granular.

Amphiboles are component of many igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Amphiboles are used in construction as paving stones and as a veneer or facing

on buildings, as crushed stone for road and railroad bed.

6. Pyroxene

Pyroxene minerals belong to the silicate group that generally contain magnesium,
iron, calcium and aluminum. They are usually dark brown or black but some occur in
a wide range of colors. They have white streak and vitreous to dull luster. Their
hardness is 5 to 7 while specific gravity is 3 to 4. Their cleavage often have nearly
square cross-section

Pyroxenes are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks throughout the world.

Pyroxenes are used as crushed stone and dimension stones, as gem materials,
and as an important source of lithium.

7. Olivine

Another group of silicate minerals is olivine. Their chemical composition range

between Mg2SiO4 and Fe2SiO4. They are usually green in color but can be yellow-
green, bright green, brownish-green or brown. They have colorless streak and vitreous

15
luster. Their hardness ranges from 6.5 – 7. Specific gravity is 3.2 to 4.4. They exhibit
poor cleavage and brittle with conchoidal fracture.

Olivine is typically found in igneous rocks such as basalt, gabbro and peridotite.

Olivine is commonly used as a gemstones.

8. Calcite

Calcite is a rock-forming mineral from the carbonate group. Its chemical formula
is CaCO3. It is usually white but can also occur as colorless, gray, red, green, blue,
yellow, brown or orange. It has a white streak and vitreous luster. Its hardness is 3
and specific gravity is 2.7. It cleaves perfectly into three directions.

Calcite is found everywhere in sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. It is

a principal component of limestone and marble which make up a good portion of the
crust.

Calcite is used as an acid neutralizer, a low-hardness abrasive and a soil

conditioner.

9. Dolomite

Dolomite is a calcium magnesium carbonate with a chemical composition of

CaMg(CO3)2. Its color can be colorless, white, pink, green, gray, brown or black. It has
a white streak and a vitreous to pearly luster. Its hardness is 3.5 to 4 at Mohs Scale.
Its specific gravity is 2.8 to 2.9. It has a perfect cleavage.

Dolomite is a primary component of the sedimentary rock dolostone, of the

metamorphic rock dolomitic marble and of the sedimentary rock dolomitic limestone.

Dolomite is useful as construction aggregate. It is a source of magnesia for the

chemical industry and agricultural soil treatments.

16
 Study each picture of minerals and fill the appropriate
columns in the table with their observable properties. Identify the mineral using the
properties and write its name in the last column. You may refer to Table 6 Properties
of Some Common Minerals in this module as a guide. Write your answer in your
notebook.

Properties
Name of
Picture Crystal
Color Luster Diaphaneity Mineral
Habit

17
 Copy the concept map below in your notebook. Fill the empty boxes with the
correct term observing proper relationship between the ideas you learned about
minerals.

18
 Identify the main mineral component of the product shown by the pictures. Cite its
properties that make it ideal to use. Write your answer in your notebook using the
template below. An example is provided for you.

Uses of Minerals

Product Mineral Component Useful properties

Example:
with attractive color and
metallic luster, soft,
gold malleable, ductile, tarnish-
resistant

19
Here are the key concepts discussed in this module:

• Minerals are inorganic, naturally-occurring, crystalline solids with definite

chemical composition.
• The chemical property of a mineral constitutes its chemical composition
which is expressed in its physical properties.
• Some physical properties of minerals are color and streak, hardness,
cleavage and fracture, luster, crystal form and habit, density, specific
gravity and diaphaneity. These properties are used to identify minerals.
• Although there are thousands of mineral, only very few groups are
involved in rock-formation. Major rock-forming minerals are
plagioclase feldspar, alkali feldspar, quartz micas, amphiboles, pyroxene,
olivine, calcite and dolomite.
• Minerals are used in a wide array of products such as jewelries,
ceramics, dyes, salts, cosmetics and technologies. Minerals are also
important in the electrical, steel and construction industries.

20
 Answer the following questions. Choose and write the letter of the correct
answer in your notebook.

1. Which of the following is NOT a mineral?

a. silicate
b. table salt
c. table sugar
d. snow flakes

2. What characteristics must a substance possess to be considered a mineral?

I. It must be inorganic. III. It must be naturally found in nature.
II. It must be hard and compact. IV. It must be solid at room temperature.

a. I, II and III only

b. II, III and IV only
c. I, III and IV only
d. I, II and IV only

3. What is the basis in classifying minerals?

a. color
b. streak
c. specific gravity
d. chemical composition

4. A mineral is harder than glass but softer than steel. What must it be?
a. talc
b. quartz
c. calcite
d. feldspar

5. A synthetic diamond is prepared in a laboratory by placing carbon under high

pressure. Is this laboratory-made diamond a mineral?
a. Yes, because it is still made up of inorganic substance.
b. Yes, because it still has a definite chemical composition.
c. No, because it is made up of carbon atoms.
d. No, because it is not made through a natural process.

21
6. Why is color not a very useful property in mineral identification?
a. because some minerals are clear or colorless
b. because each mineral has its own distinct color
c. because same minerals can have different colors
d. because the color of a mineral can be different from its streak

7. What property does the Mohs Scale measure?

a. luster
b. density
c. hardness
d. specific gravity

8. Which of the following is true about all silicate minerals?

a. They have high density and perfect cleavage.
b. They are colorless, transparent and prismatic.
c. They are made up of the two main elements silicon and oxygen.
d. a, b and c

9. You found a clear mineral embedded in a rock. It cannot be scratched by your

fingernail but can be scratched by a knife. What mineral is it?
a. quartz
b. calcite
c. gypsum
d. diamond

10. Which of the following is the most common rock-forming mineral type?
a. quartz
b. calcite
c. alkali feldspar
d. plagioclase feldspar

Clever! One more and you’re done!

You have learned that minerals are valuable natural resources. They have a
variety of applications in the fields of construction, engineering, agriculture, electronics
and even in the food industry. Because of this, the need for minerals continue to grow.
However, mineral resources are non-renewable. Due to high demand, resources are
slowly depleting. Thus, there is a necessity to conserve minerals.

22
 Make a simple project plan that will show how you can help your community in the
conservation of minerals. Present your plan of activities chronologically in pre-
implementation, implementation and post-implementation stages. Include the persons
or organizations you need to involve in your activities as well as all the materials,
resources and facilities you will need. Write your plan in your notebook using the
template below.

Mineral Conservation Plan

Materials,
Activities Persons/Organizations Resources and
to Involve Facilities Needed
A. Pre-implementation Stage
Activities:
_______________________

B. Implementation Stage
Activities
_______________________

C. Post-implementation Stage
Activities
_________________________

Congratulations! You did great in this module!

Commission on Higher Education (2016).Teaching Guide for Senior High School.

Earth and Life Science.

Glencoe McGraw-Hill (n.d.). Science Voyages, Exploring the Life, Earth, and Physical
Sciences. Florida Edition, Level Blue.

23
Try this
1. a 2. b 3. d 4. d 5. a

Do this
1. atmosphere 6. atmosphere
2. lithosphere 7. hydrosphere
3. biosphere 8. biosphere
4. hydrosphere 9. hydrosphere
5. lithosphere 10. lithosphere

Explore
Activity 1. Sugar or Salt?
1. Sugar and salt are similar on color, streak and crystal structure.
2. Sugar and salt differ in luster, hardness and chemical composition.
3. No. Only salt is a mineral. Sugar is not a mineral because it comes from a plant, a
living organism. Therefore, sugar is organic.
4. To be considered a mineral, a substance must possess the following characteristic:
a. naturally-occurring,
b. inorganic (not coming from living matter),
c. with definite chemical composition, and
d. form a crystalline structure.

Activity 2. Which is Which?

Possible answers
I can use Mohs Hardness scale to identify them. I can scratch each of them with
an iron nail with 4.5 hardness in the Mohs Scale. Whichever can be scratched by the
nail is the calcite since its hardness is only 3, much softer than the iron nail. The other
would be the quartz, since its hardness is 7, much harder than the iron nail.

Activity 3. Gold or Not?

Possible answers
1. The story is about Dani and how she tested a yellow nugget which she thought
of as gold.
2. Dani and her family went to Camarines Norte which is known for gold.
3. Dani found a yellow nugget.
4. She thought the nugget was gold.
5. She thought that way knowing that the province has many gold mines and the
nugget has the color of gold.
6. She considered to test for streak and hardness of the unknown mineral.

24
 7. If I were Dani, I would conclude that the substance is not a gold. This is because
gold has a yellow streak not greenish black. Likewise, gold is a relatively soft,
malleable mineral, thus, it will not scratch a glass.
(Hint: Gold has a hardness of 2.5 while a glass has 5.5. The nugget must be
pyrite which is also called “fool’s gold” due to its close resemblance to gold.
Pyrite has a greenish-black streak and hardness of 6.5.)
8. To verify the findings, Dani may observe other properties of the mineral like
crystal habit and specific gravity. She may go to a jewelry shop or pawnshop to
have the nugget checked whether it is gold or not. She may also bring the
sample to a laboratory to test for its chemical composition.

Apply what you have learned

Properties
Name of
Picture Crystal
Mineral
Color Luster Diaphaneity Habit

gray metallic opaque cubic galena

purple vitreous translucent octahedral fluorite

clear vitreous transparent 6-sided

prismatic quartz

orange resinous opaque tabular wulfenite

black metallic opaque botryoidal hematite

25
Think over

Reinforcement

Product Mineral Component Useful properties

Example:
with attractive color and
metallic luster, soft, malleable,
gold
ductile, tarnish-resistant

aluminum soft, lightweight, fire proof,

corrosion resistant

graphite with a dark streak, soft,

light weight

diamond hard, durable, highly lustrous,

chemically-resistant

26
 lithium lightweight, high
electrochemical potential

talc soft, transluscent, with pearly

luster

Assess what you have learned

1. c 2. c 3. d 4. d 5. d 6. c 7. c 8. c 9. b 10. d

REFERENCES

Commission on Higher Education (2016).Teaching Guide for Senior High School.

Earth and Life Science.

Glencoe McGraw-Hill (n.d.). Science Voyages, Exploring the Life, Earth, and Physical
Sciences. Florida Edition, Level Blue.

Papa, R.D, et al. (2016). Earth and Life Science, Knowing and Understanding Nature.
Abiva Publishing House, Inc. Araneta Ave., Quezon City

Petersen, J.F., et al (2016). Earth and Life Sciences. Rex Bookstore, Inc. Manila,
Philippines.

Salandanan, G., Faltado, R. and Lopez, M. (2016) Earth and Life Sciences for Senior
High School (Core Subject). Lorimar Publishing, Inc. Quezon City, Metro Manila.

https://miningmatters.ca/school-programs/students/rock-and-mineral-identification-
guides/mineral-identification-guide

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-001-
introduction-to-geology-fall-2013/labs-and
exercises/MIT12_001F13_Lab1_Instrctn.pdf

http://www.geologypage.com/2019/07/rock-forming-minerals.html

https://geology.com

27
galleries.com/minerals/property/transpar.htm

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/geo/chapter/reading-classifying-minerals/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/earthscience/chapter/minerals-and-mineral-
groups/

IMAGE SOURCES:
• https://geology.com/minerals/streak-test.shtml
• http://www.geologyin.com/2019/10/crystal-habits-and-forms.html
• https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/bfb3ccd9-8cc5-4e3d-883f-
438e6a851fd3
• https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/9eba61cc-ab95-4f01-bdb5-
a2d3867e78e9
• https://www.needpix.com/photo/474418/minerals-rock-crystal
• https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/572878bd-a645-4ae0-9299-
0df107fa4b58
• https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/3dfddd07-0bf4-4093-a158-
7ede41b01e91
• https://www.needpix.com/photo/132644/gold-chain-pendent-gold-pendent-
gold-chain-fashion-wealth-rich-shine
• https://www.needpix.com/photo/841147/shells-aluminum-trays-packaging-
transparent
• https://www.needpix.com/photo/831538/pen-writing-utensil-mine-writing-
implement-leave-pencil-graphite-pencil
• https://www.needpix.com/photo/660100/jewelry-diamond-ring-gold-diamond-
ring-marriage-gemstone-jewel
• https://www.needpix.com/photo/1295582/battery-cell-lithium-cr2032-cr-2032-
energy-voltage-power
• https://www.needpix.com/photo/724465/minerals-cubes-baird
• https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/6706a21e-80a9-4c43-bf8e-
16297e84e067
• https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/0d570c26-c051-41e7-becc-
06120064db3c

28