L2 | PROPERTY OF MINERALS

• MINERAL

  • Naturally occurring inorganic substance
  • Definite chemical composition
  • Solid structure
  • Unique crystalline structure 
• INORGANIC SUBSTANCE

  • Not derived from a living matter
• MASS

  • Amount of space occupied by an object
• WATER DISPLACEMENT METHOD

  • Finding a volume of a solid by submerging it into water.
  • Volume of solid = amount of water it displaces
• RENIFORM

  • kidney-shaped
• SPLENDENT

  • Shiny and radiant 
• PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

  1. color
  2. luster
  3. streak
  4. cleavage and fracture
  5. density
  6. hardness
  7. reaction with acids
  8. fluorescence
  9. phosphorescence
  10. diaphaneity
• COLOR

  • Can easily be observed
  • Result of reflection of visible light
  • Not sufficient in identifying minerals
  • CORUNDUM
  • Colorless minerals composed of aluminum and oxygen atoms
  • RUBY (RED GEM) = contain traces of chromium
  • SAPPHIRE (BLUE GEM) = traces of iron and titanium
• LUSTER

  • Ability of mineral to reflect light from its surface
• 1. METALLIC MINERALS

  • Metallic luster
  • Manifested by the way polished materials reflect light

  2. NON-METALLIC MINERALS

  • Non-Metallic luster
  • 4 types:
  • Glassy luster (ex. quartz)
  • Pearly luster (ex. mica)
  • Waxy luster
  • Brilliant luster (ex. diamond)
• Metallic

  Opaque and shiny like polished material
• STREAK

  • Color of mineral in powdered form
  • May differ from its color in solid form
  • Mineral is rubbed against an unglazed ceramic tile
• • METALLIC MINERALS - darker in color
  • NONMETALLIC MINERALS - light in color
• CLEAVAGE

  • Ability of mineral to split along a weak plane forming a flat surface
• FRACTURE

  • Capability of minerals to break along curved surfaces
• • PERFECT – cleaves without leaving any rough surfaces forming full flat planes.
  • GOOD – smooth surface but with some rough edges
  • POOR – characterized by rough surfaces
  • INDISCERNIBLE / INDISTINCT – hardly noticeable
  • NONE – did not exhibit change  
• DENSITY

  • Amount of water present in a certain amount of space / volume.
• HARDNESS

  • Tendency of mineral to resist abrasion (scratching)
  • Result of intermolecular bonding
• MOHS SCALE

  • friedrich mohs
  • Arrangement of minerals from softest (talc) to the hardest (diamond)
• REACTION WITH ACIDS

  • Minerals that contain carbonate CO3^-2 react with acid.
• FLUORESCENCE 

  • Ability of minerals to glow when bombarded with UV light.
  • Minerals may not glow under ordinary light.
• PHOSPHORESCENCE 

  • Some minerals would continue to glow even after a source of UV light has been turned off.
• DIAPHANEITY

  • Transparency
  • Degree by which the mineral transmit light
  • Can be described as: opaque, translucent, transparent
• OPAQUE

  • Does not transmit light
• TRANSLUCENT

  • Allows some amount of light to pass through it in a distorted form
• TRANSPARENT 

  • Allows transmission of light in an undisturbed manner.