Physical Properties of Minerals

• Color - The visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. It is the most evident but not reliable.
• Streak - the color of a mineral when it is rubbed on a white surface. Color in powdered form.
• Luster - how light reflects off the surface of a mineral
• Specific Gravity - Ratio of an object's mass to it's volume (water).
• Cleavage - tendency of minerals to break along certain planes
• Fracture - way a mineral breaks when it is broken perpendicularly to its cleavage plane.
• Crystal Form - The Internal structure of a crystal.
• Habit - outward appearance of the mineral.
• Magnetism - Attracts or repels other magnets.
• Odor, Taste, Fluorescent - Chemical Sensation