Physical Properties of Mineral

• Hardness
• Cleavage
• Fracture
• Luster
• Color
• Density
• Crystal Habit
 Physical Properties of Mineral
Hardness – is a measure of the ease with which the surface of a
mineral can be scratched.
Mohs scale of hardness – a scale based on the ability of one mineral to
scratch another (devised by Friedrich Mohs in 1822)
 Physical Properties of Mineral
Hardness – is a measure of the ease with which the surface of a
mineral can be scratched.
Within groups of minerals that have similar crystal structures, hardness is related to
other factors that also affect bond strength:
• Size: The smaller the atoms or ions, the smaller
the distance between them and the greater the
electrostatic attraction—and thus the stronger the
bond.
• Charge: The larger the charge of ions, the greater the
attraction between them, and thus the stronger the
bond.
• Packing: The closer the packing of atoms or ions, the
smaller the distance between them, and thus the
stronger the bond.
 Physical Properties of Mineral
Cleavage – is the tendency of a crystal to split along planar surfaces.
-The term cleavage is also used to describe the geometric
pattern produced by such breakage.
-Varies inversely with bond strength:
-Strong bonds produce poor or no cleavage, while weak
bonds produce good cleavage.
 Physical Properties of Mineral
Cleavage is classified according to two primary sets of characteristics:
• NUMBER OF PLANES AND PATTERN OF CLEAVAGE
-The number of planes and patterns of cleavage are identifying hallmarks of many
rock-forming minerals.
Example:
Muscovite – has only one plane of cleavage, whereas calcite and dolomite crystals
have three cleavage planes that give them a rhomboidal shape.
Example of rhomboidal cleavage in calcite:
 Physical Properties of Mineral

• QUALITY OF SURFACES AND EASE OF CLEAVING

A mineral’s cleavage is assessed as perfect, excellent, good, fair, poor, or none according to
the quality of surfaces produced and the ease of cleaving.

Example:
Muscovite can be cleaved easily, and it produces extremely smooth surfaces; its
cleavage is perfect. Single-chain and double-chain silicates (the pyroxenes and amphiboles,
respectively) show good cleavage. Although these minerals split easily along the cleavage
plane, they also break across it, producing cleavage surfaces that are not as smooth as those
of micas. Fair cleavage is shown by the ring silicate beryl. Beryl’s cleavage is irregular, and
the mineral breaks relatively easily along directions other than cleavage planes.
Physical Properties of Mineral

Pyroxene and amphibole often look very

much alike, but their differing angles of cleavage can be
used to identify and classify them.
 Physical Properties of Mineral
Fracture - is the tendency of a crystal to break along irregular surfaces
other than cleavage planes.

Luster - is controlled by the kindsof atoms present and their bonding,

both of which affect the way light passes through or is reflected by the
mineral.

Color - The color of a mineral is imparted by light, either transmitted

through or reflected by crystals or irregular masses of the mineral.
• Streak
• Ions and Mineral Color
• Trace Elements and Mineral Color