Unscramble the letter to

reveal the word.

WORD 1:

ZRUATQ
WORD 1:

QUARTZ
Unscramble the letter to
reveal the word.

WORD 2:

EVILINO
WORD 2:

OLIVINE
Unscramble the letter to
reveal the word.

WORD 3:

DNOAIMD
WORD 3:

DIAMOND
Unscramble the letter to
reveal the word.

WORD 4:

ETCALIC
WORD 4:

CALCITE
Unscramble the letter to
reveal the word.

WORD 5:
WORD 5:
An element or chemical
compound that is normally
crystalline and that has
been formed as a result of
geological processes

(International Mineralogical
Association)
Building blocks of rocks
5 Criteria to be considered a
mineral
1. The substance must exist as a solid
under normal conditions on Earth

2. The substance must be naturally

occurring on Earth, not man-made

3. The substance must be inorganic,

not living or made from living things
5 Criteria to be considered a mineral

4. The substance must have a fixed

chemical formula, made of specific
elements.
Examples: Quartz – SiO2
Pyrite – FeS2
5 Criteria to be considered a mineral

5. The atoms that make up the

substance must be arranged in an
orderly structure
Identify whether the substance is
mineral or not

1. Liquid mercury
Identify whether the substance is
mineral or not

2. Chunk of coal
Identify whether the substance is
mineral or not

3. Sulfur
Identify whether the substance is
mineral or not

4. Sugar crystals
Identify whether the substance is
mineral or not

5. Ice
Imagine you are geologists. How will
you identify the mineral you have
found?
IDENTIFYING MINERALS:
Physical Properties
1. Color
 The least diagnostic since many
minerals share the same color
 One mineral can take on several
different colors if there are
impurities in the chemical
composition
Purple quartz, known as amethyst, and
clear quartz are the same mineral despite
the different colors.
2. Streak
 The color of a mineral's powder,
which often is not the same color as
the mineral itself. Many minerals do
not have streak.
The streak of hematite across an unglazed
porcelain plate is red-brown
3. Luster
 Describes the reflection of light off a
mineral’s surface
 May be
Metallic: Opaque and shiny
minerals, such as pyrite
Non-metallic: Transparent
minerals, like quartz
 Six types of non-metallic luster
Luster Appearance
Adamantine Sparkly
Earthy Dull, clay-like
Pearly Pearl-like
Resinous Like resins, such as tree sap
Silky Soft-looking with long fibers
Vitreous Glassy
4. Hardness
 Measure of whether a mineral will
scratch or be scratched.
 Mohs Hardness Scale is a reference
for mineral hardness
Mohs Hardness Scale
5. Cleavage and Fracture
 Cleavage is the tendency of a
mineral to break along certain planes
to make smooth surfaces.

Calcite has cleavage Sheets of mica

Fluorite has octahedral cleavage
Fracture is a break in a mineral that is
not along a cleavage plane.
 6. Other characteristics
Some minerals have unusual properties that can be used for identification.

Example of
Property Description
Mineral
Mineral glows under ultraviolet
Fluorescence Fluorite
light
Magnetism Mineral is attracted to a magnet Magnetite

Mineral gives off radiation that

Radioactivity can be measured with Geiger Uraninite
counter
Bubbles form when mineral is
Reactivity Calcite
exposed to a weak acid
Some minerals have a Sulfur (smells like
Smell
distinctive smell rotten eggs)
Taste Some minerals taste salty Halite
 1 point

1. Which is NOT a characteristic that

defines a mineral?
A. Solid under normal conditions
B. Have definite chemical formula
C. Naturally occurring on Earth
D. Organic substance
 1 point

2. True or False:

Diamond is the hardest mineral

in the Mohs Scale of Hardness .
 1 point

3. True or False:

Streak is the color of a mineral

in powdered form and more
reliable in mineral
identification.
 2 points

4. An unknown opaque material

has a black streak and a
hardness of 6.
Is the mineral metallic or non-
metallic?
 2 points
5. Both minerals have the same
color. How can you easily tell
which mineral is Gold and which is
“Fool’s Gold”?
Identify the mineral: 3 points
Identify the mineral: 3 points
Identify the mineral: 3 points
Identify the mineral: 3 points