1.
Crystal Habit - refers to the overall or may not be the same color as the
shape or growth pattern of the mineral. mineral.
Equant
Elongate According to Bayo-ang (2016) streak is
Platy obtained by scratching the mineral on an
unpolished piece of white porcelain called
2. Luster - describes the appearance of a a streak plate.
mineral when light is re ected from its
surface. It can be described as opaque, Magnetism - Some minerals are
transparent, dull, or shiny. attracted to a hand magnet. To test a
mineral for magnetism, just put the
Metallic luster is opaque and very magnet and mineral together and see if
re ective like gold and silver. they are attracted.
Nonmetallic luster is dull, silky, greasy, Striations -presence of very thin, parallel
and pearly like silicates grooves. The grooves are present in only
one of the two sets of cleavages and are
3. Cleavage and Fracture - Cleavage best seen with a hand lens. They may not
refers to the tendency of minerals to be visible on all parts of a cleavage
break along very smooth, at and shiny surface.
surfaces. It can be described as one, two,
three, four or all direction. Speci c Gravity - is the weight of that
mineral divided by the weight of an equal
4. Hardness - is a measure of the volume of water.
mineral's resistance to scratching. Harder
minerals will scratch softer minerals. Taste, Odor, Feel - Some minerals have
distinctive taste (halite is salt, and tastes
5. Color - is one of the most obvious like it). Some give off a distinctive odor
properties of a mineral but not reliable (the powder of some sul de minerals,
alone. Some minerals come in just one such as sphalerite, a zinc sul de, smells
color, while others come in many colors like rotten eggs), and some have a
and varieties distinctive feel (talc feels slippery).
6. Streak - refers to the color of the
mineral in its powdered form, which may
Chemical Properties
Chemical properties of minerals show the presence and arrangement of atoms in
minerals. Using their chemical properties, minerals are identi ed by how they react to
certain substances.
Metallic sul de minerals form into sulfuric acid when exposed to air and water.
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CLASSIFICATION OF EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION
MINERALS
Native Elements (Silver) These minerals are naturally
occurring in nature in an
uncombined form with a
distinct mineral structure. It
can be classi ed as metal,
semimetals and non-
metals.
Silicates (feldspar) This is the largest group of
minerals. It contains silicon
and oxygen, with some
aluminum, magnesium, iron
and calcium.
Oxides (magnetite) It is formed from the
combination of a metal with
oxygen. This group
ranges from dull ores like
bauxite to gems like rubies
and sapphires
Sul des (pyrite) These are made of
compounds of sulfur usually
with a metal. They tend to
be heavy and brittle.
Sulfates (gypsum) These are made of
compounds of sulfur
combined with metals and
oxygen. It is a large group of
minerals that tend to be soft,
and translucent.
Halides (halite/ table salt) They form from halogen
elements like chlorine,
bromine, uorine, and iodine
combined with metallic
elements. They are very soft
and easily dissolved in
Carbonates (dolomite) water. are group of minerals
These
made of carbon, oxygen,
and a metallic element.
Phosphates (apatite) They are often formed when
other minerals are broken
down by weathering. They
are often brightly colored.
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Mineraloid (amber) It is the term used for those
substances that do not t
neatly into one of the eight
classes.
Classi cation of Rocks Clastic sedimentary rock. It is formed
from the mechanical weathering debris of
Igneous rocks or magmatic rocks are rocks. Examples are breccia,
formed through the cooling and conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and
solidi cation of magma or lava. Igneous shale.
rock can be classi ed into:
Chemical sedimentary rock. It is formed
Intrusive igneous rocks. This type of when dissolved materials precipitate from
igneous rock is formed from the solution. Examples of these are rock
solidi cation of magma below the surface salt, iron ore, chert, int, some dolomites.
They have large crystals of minerals that
formed over time through the slow Organic sedimentary rock. It is formed
process of crystallization in a magma. from the build-up of plant or animal
Granite, diorite, gabbro, pegmatite, and debris. Examples of this, type are coal
peridotite are examples of this type of and fossiliferous limestone.
rock.
Metamorphic rock forms from existing
Extrusive igneous rocks. This type of rock types called "parent rock" in the
igneous rock is formed through a faster process called metamorphism, which
rate of solidi cation of lava on the surface means a change in form. The original
of Earth. They can become glassy in rock which can be an igneous,
appearance due to less crystallization or sedimentary, or another metamorphic
vesicular like Scoria, due to the air that rock is subjected to heat and pressure,
was trapped inside when they solidi ed causing a profound chemical or physical
and formed on the surface of the earth. change. Metamorphic rocks can be
Other examples of this type of rock are classi ed into:
andesite, basalt, dacite, obsidian,
pumice, rhyolite, and tuff. Foliated metamorphic rock. It is formed
through pressure due to compression of
rocks that create bands called foliation.
Sedimentary rock is formed by the Examples are gneiss, phyllite, schist, and
deposition and cementation of mineral or slate.
organic particles on the oor of oceans
and other bodies of water at the Earth's Non-foliated metamorphic rocks. It has
surface. Sedimentary rocks can be no foliation or bands. Examples of this
classi ed into clastic, chemical, and type are hornfels, marble, quartzite, and
organic. novaculite.
Marble (own photo)
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