EARTH SCIENCE | MINERALS

PARAÑAQUE SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

Optical properties: luster, light

transmission, color, streak
___

By Divine Grace Q. Dazo

Overview:
We use minerals in our everyday lives. Most of us are well aware of common uses of minerals,
such as copper in electric wiring, gold and silver in jewelry, and even salt or halite in food
seasoning. Not all mineral use is well known. For example, graphite is the material used to
make pencils, talc is used to make cosmetics and gypsum is used to make wall board. Then
there's silicon, which is derived from quartz and used to make computer chips. The wide variety
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of minerals begs the question 'what is a mineral?' and 'what properties distinguish one mineral
from another?

Minerals are conveniently identified based on their physical properties. These properties
include luster, ability to transmit light, color and streak. This lesson will describe each of
these properties and examples of each.

Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this module, the students must be able to:

● Discuss how minerals are defined differently by geologists and the mining industry
● Identify the luster of many minerals
● Explain the difference between opaque, transparent, and translucent minerals
● Describe what the streak of a mineral is

Pre-Test:

1. How does the definition of a mineral differ between a miner and a geologist?
a. There is essentially no difference in how a miner and a geologist define minerals.
b. A miner defines a mineral as anything taken from the ground, while a geologist
defines a mineral as any naturally occurring inorganic solid that has a particular
crystalline structure, and can be represented by a chemical formula.
c. A miner defines a mineral as any naturally occurring inorganic solid that has a
particular crystalline structure and can be represented by a chemical formula, and a
geologist defines a mineral as anything taken from the ground.
d. A miner defines a mineral as an organic compound, while a geologist defines a
mineral as a naturally occurring element or vitamin.

2. What could be the reason why color is generally not a good diagnostic property for
identifying minerals?
a. Weathering can affect the coloring of minerals.
b. Some people are color blind.
c. Minerals are colorless.
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d. A mineral can come in a variety of colors.

3. What do you call minerals that are impenetrable to light?

a. transparent
b. translucent
c. opaque
d. graphite

4. Describe the luster of gold has a shiny appearance.

a. silky
b. pearly
c. metallic
d. glassy

5. Which of the following describes the appearance of a mineral in its powdered form that
can also be used to distinguish it from another mineral?
a. streak
b. luster
c. gravity
d. color
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Lesson Proper
DAY 1
Part I: Quick discussion

What is a mineral? The term mineral has different meanings for different people. Let's take a
look.

I know someone who is so health conscious and is concerned with getting her daily vitamins
and minerals, for example, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The mining industry refers to
minerals as anything taken from the ground, for example, coal, iron ore, sand, and gravel.

Let's focus on the meaning that geologists apply to minerals, as they make a living studying the
earth's minerals. These scientists will define a mineral as any naturally occurring inorganic
solid that has a particular crystalline structure and can be represented by a chemical formula.
These crystalline structures and chemical properties give minerals unique sets of physical and
chemical properties shared by all samples of that particular mineral. As the chemical
composition of a mineral is difficult to determine, more easily recognized physical properties
are commonly used in identification of a mineral. This lesson will identify the different optical
properties of minerals used in identification.

Part II: Station rotation

The class will be divided into 3 groups and each will be assigned to different stations to start
with. Each group will have their own sequence of stations to attend.
Group 1: A, B, C
Group 2: B, C, A
Group 3: C, A, B
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Station A: Watch and Learn

To be performed by pair

Materials:
Laptop or computer for watching the video
Video (bit.ly/Minerals_OpticalProperties)

Procedure:
1. Watch and understand the video discussion about the optical properties of minerals.
2. Create a concept map that will summarize the content of the video.

Station B: Color and Light Transmission

To be performed by group

Materials:
lab sheets
mineral set
hand lens

Procedure:
a. Color
1. Use the hand lens to observe the mineral sample. Describe the colors you observe
on your lab sheet.

b. Light transmission
1. Place all minerals on a table in a central location. Pick up one of the minerals
and discuss with the group whether it is transparent, translucent, or opaque
2. List the mineral under the appropriate column in the lab sheet.
3. Repeat this procedure for a few more items.
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Station C: Streak and Luster

To be performed by group

Materials:
lab sheets white streak plate
mineral set black streak plate
hand lens moist paper towel
flashlight

Procedure:
a. Streak
1. Gently rub the mineral across the white streak plate.
2. Blow any loose powder off the streak plate.
3. Observe the color of the streak left by the mineral. Use the hand lens if
necessary.

Note: If the mineral does not leave a streak but instead “scratches” the plate, do not
try again. The mineral is too hard for the streak plate test.

4. Describe your observation on your lab sheet.

5. Repeat for each mineral using the black streak plate.

b. Luster
1. Shine the flashlight on each mineral sample.
2. Make observations to determine the mineral’s luster (metallic or non-metallic)
3. Describe your observations on your lab sheet
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Lesson Proper
DAY 2
Part I: Review Questions

1. What is a mineral?
2. Give and describe the optical properties of minerals.
3. Describe the process on how to properly assess the optical properties of a mineral.

Part II: Station rotation

The class will be divided into 3 groups and each will be assigned to different stations to start
with. Each group will have their own sequence of stations to attend.
Group 1: A, B, C
Group 2: B, C, A
Group 3: C, A, B

Station A: Watch and Learn II

To be performed by group

The students will watch the video as a group. Afterwards, the teacher will facilitate the question
and answer discussion about the optical properties of minerals.

Station B: Virtual Lab (Luster, Streak, Color)

To be performed by pair

Materials:
lab sheets
laptop or desktop computer
virtual lab (bit.ly/Minerals_VirtualLab)
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Procedure:

1. Make sure that the virtual lab is working properly in your device.
2. Choose 5 minerals to be observed from the virtual lab.
3. Color:
a. Describe the color of each mineral and write the data in the table. You may use
the hand lens to see the color better. Just click and drag the hand lens over the
chosen mineral.
4. Streak
a. Choose a mineral and check for its streak color. Click and drag the chosen
mineral over the streak plate to make a striking motion.
b. Use the hand lens over the streak plate to see the streak color made.
c. Record the color in the table.
d. Repeat the process for the 5 minerals.
5. Luster
a. Turn on the lamp by clicking the red button.
b. Click and drag a mineral under the lamp light.
c. Check for the mineral’s luster by using the hand lens over it.
d. Record the data in the table.
e. Repeat the process for the 5 minerals.

Station C: Picture Talks

To be performed individually

Materials:
flash pictures
lab sheets

Procedure:
1. Observe and analyze each picture. Choose one optical property of mineral and use it to
describe the picture. What is the importance of knowing this property?
2. Repeat the process for each picture.
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Assessment:

1. Minerals that are impenetrable to light are referred to as _____.

a. opaque
b. translucent
c. transparent
d. graphite

2. The appearance of a mineral in its powdered form that can also be used to distinguish it
from another mineral is referred to as the mineral's _____.
a. luster
b. streak
c. color
d. gravity

3. Why is color generally not a good diagnostic property for identifying minerals?
a. A mineral can come in a variety of colors.
b. Minerals are colorless.
c. Some people are color blind.
d. Weathering can affect the coloring of minerals.

4. Gold has a shiny appearance and is said to have a _____ luster.

a. glassy
b. pearly
c. metallic
d. silky

5. How does the definition of a mineral differ between a miner and a geologist?
a. A miner defines a mineral as anything taken from the ground, while a geologist
defines a mineral as any naturally occurring inorganic solid that has a particular
crystalline structure, and can be represented by a chemical formula.
b. There is essentially no difference in how a miner and a geologist define minerals.
c. A miner defines a mineral as any naturally occurring inorganic solid that has a
particular crystalline structure and can be represented by a chemical formula, and a
geologist defines a mineral as anything taken from the ground.
d. A miner defines a mineral as an organic compound, while a geologist defines a
mineral as a naturally occurring element or vitamin.