Lesson 2 – Minerals Lab

General Questions
• Why don’t all minerals break the same way?
Different minerals have different atomic structures, so they will not break in the same places.
• What physical property of a mineral results from your answer in Question 1?

Cleavage

Sample A
• How many planes of cleavage does this sample have?
2
• If it has two or more cleavage planes, what are the cleavage angles?
90 degrees
• Is it harder or softer than a copper penny (3.5 on Mohs scale)?
Softer
• Is it harder or softer than glass (5.5 on Mohs scale)?
Harder
• Using the chart below, identify this sample.

Gypsum

Sample B
• How many planes of cleavage does this sample have?
4
• If it has two or more cleavage planes, what are the cleavage angles?
• Greater than 90 degrees
• Is it harder or softer than a copper penny (3.5 on Mohs scale)?
Harder
• Is it harder or softer than glass (5.5 on Mohs scale)?
Harder
• Using the chart below, identify this sample.

Pyroxene

Sample C
• How many planes of cleavage does this sample have?
5
• If it has two or more cleavage planes, what are the cleavage angles?
60/120
• Is it harder or softer than a copper penny (3.5 on Mohs scale)?
Harder
• Is it harder or softer than glass (5.5 on Mohs scale)?
Harder
• Using the chart below, identify this sample.

Quartz

Sample D
• How many planes of cleavage does this sample have?
1
 • If it has two or more cleavage planes, what are the cleavage angles?
n/a
• Is it harder or softer than a copper penny (3.5 on Mohs scale)?
Softer
• Is it harder or softer than glass (5.5 on Mohs scale)?
Softer
• Using the chart below, identify this sample.

Biotite

Sample E
• How many planes of cleavage does this sample have?
2
• If it has two or more cleavage planes, what are the cleavage angles?
90
• Is it harder or softer than a copper penny (3.5 on Mohs scale)?
Harder
• Is it harder or softer than glass (5.5 on Mohs scale)?
Harder
• Using the chart below, identify this sample.

Microcline Feldspar

Sample F
• How many planes of cleavage does this sample have?
4
• If it has two or more cleavage planes, what are the cleavage angles?
octahedral
• Is it harder or softer than a copper penny (3.5 on Mohs scale)?
Softer
• Is it harder or softer than glass (5.5 on Mohs scale)?
Softer
• Using the chart below, identify this sample.

Flourite

Mineral Identification Chart

Cleavage Cleavage
Hardness Color Mineral Name
Planes Angles
>5.5 0 n/a green Olivine
varies, usually
5 n/a white or Quartz
colorless
Microcline
2 90 degrees pink
Feldspar
dark brown, Hornblende
60/120 degrees
black Amphibole
4 90 degrees green, black Pyroxene
<5.5
white, yellow,
and 0 n/a Apatite
brown
>3.5
yellow, green,
4 octahedral Fluorite
blue, colorless
<3.5 3 rhombohedral white, colorless Calcite
 Microcline
2 90 degrees pink
Feldspar
dark brown, Hornblende
60/120 degrees
black Amphibole
4 90 degrees green, black Pyroxene
<5.5
white, yellow,
and 0 n/a Apatite
brown
>3.5
yellow, green,
4 octahedral Fluorite
blue, colorless
<3.5 3 rhombohedral white, colorless Calcite
1 n/a white, silver Muscovite
dark brown,
1 n/a Biotite
black
0 n/a white, colorless gypsum