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Earth and Life Science: Minerals
Earth and Life Science: Minerals
a. They should be natural, inorganic, solid, with a crystalline structure, and with a
definite chemical composition.
b. Almost all minerals can be characterized and classified to their respective types by
their unique physical properties: hardness, luster, color, streak, specific gravity,
cleavage, fracture, and tenacity.
2. What is the difference between mineral streak and color? Why is streak more reliable as
a means of rock identification?
- A mineral’s color is rarely used for identifying its class and type. Many minerals can
be the same in color which can be confusing which is why using a mineral’s color
isn’t as reliable as testing it with its streak. Some minerals of the same color can
have a different streak. Some minerals are also the same appearance as other
metals which can also be confusing. For example:
One of the examples shown above is real gold and the other is the mineral pyrite
which is gold in color.
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Dinh, H. (2018, April 13). Five Characteristics of a Mineral. Sciencing. Retrieved November 24,
Lumen Learning. (n.d.). Mineral Identification | Earth Science. Retrieved November 24, 2021,
from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/earthscience/chapter/mineral-identification/
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. (n.d.). Cleavage and Fracture.
https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mgs/education/lessons/act21.pdf