Answer:
2. Why was it important to examine both the colour and the streak of your minerals?
Answer: Because the surface colour of individual minerals can vary considerably but the streak colour is vertually constant & is therefore more characteristic of the mineral.
3. Is lustre a good characteristic to use for the
identification of minerals? Why or why not?
Answer: Lustre can vary within a particular
mineral - calcite might be vitreous or it may be
dull. Using lustre for identity often requires a
fresh surface if the mineral in anyway oxidises.
4. You have been given a sample of quartz, which has a hardness of 7. How can you use this mineral to determine the hardness of other minerals?
Answer: If the quartz can scratch another mineral, you know that mineral has a hardnessof less than 7. If the quartz is scratched by another mineral, you know that mineral has a hardness of greater than 7.
6. Which property or properties did you find most useful in the identification of the mineral samples? Which properties were less useful? Be specific in your explanation.
Answer: The most useful is hardness, fracture, cleavage, streak & sometimes crystal habit. The least useful is colour.
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