Prepare for your exams
Get points
Guidelines and tips

Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity

Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan

Guidelines and tips

Sell on Docsity

Log in Sign up

Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity

Find documents

Prepare for your exams with the study notes shared by other students like you on Docsity

Search Store documents

The best documents sold by students who completed their studies

Search through all study resources

Docsity AINEW

Summarize your documents, ask them questions, convert them into quizzes and concept maps

Explore questions

Clear up your doubts by reading the answers to questions asked by your fellow students

Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan

Share documents

20 Points

For each uploaded document

Answer questions

5 Points

For each given answer (max 1 per day)

All the ways to get free points

Get points immediately

Choose a premium plan with all the points you need

Study Opportunities

Choose your next study program

Get in touch with the best universities in the world. Search through thousands of universities and official partners

Community

Ask the community

Ask the community for help and clear up your study doubts

University Rankings

Discover the best universities in your country according to Docsity users

Free resources

Our save-the-student-ebooks!

Download our free guides on studying techniques, anxiety management strategies, and thesis advice from Docsity tutors

From our blog

Exams and Study

Go to the blog

Exploring Minerals for Laboratory 2 - Earth Systems Science | GEOL 107, Lab Reports of Geology

Fort Lewis College (FLC)Geology

Prof. Kimberly A. Hannula

Material Type: Lab; Professor: Hannula; Class: Earth Systems Science; Subject: Geology; University: Fort Lewis College; Term: Unknown 1989;

Typology: Lab Reports

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 08/05/2009

koofers-user-ns8 🇺🇸

10 documents

1 / 6

This page cannot be seen from the preview

Don't miss anything!

Earth Systems Science

Laboratory 2

Exploring Minerals

Objectives:

Explore the differences between minerals and other natural- and human-formed substances.

Have practical experience with identifying and distinguishing different minerals based on their physical

and chemical properties.

Gain an appreciation for the diverse uses of minerals in our daily lives.

Key Terms and Concepts:

mineral crystal form color streak hardness

luster cleavage magnetism

PART 1: What is a mineral?

Divide into groups of three or four people. Each group will be given a box with the following substances:

plate glass, sugar, multivitamins, table salt, coal, wood, (ice), plastic, petrified wood, amber, sea shell,

quartz crystal, quartz with no external form. For this part of the lab you are to examine different

substances to speculate on whether or not they are minerals, and if not, why not.

1.1) Start by giving the definition for a mineral. Write your group’s definition on your answer sheet.

1.2) Based on your definition of a mineral, which of the following substances are minerals, and

which are not minerals? For each non-mineral, explain which part of the definition does not fit it.

Write you answers in the table on your answer sheet.

Substances:

Plate Glass Multivitamins Sugar Table Salt Coal

Sea Shell Amber (petrified

tree sap)

Wood Ice or Snow Plastic

Petrified wood Quartz crystal Quartz with no

external crystal

shape

Partial preview of the text

Download Exploring Minerals for Laboratory 2 - Earth Systems Science | GEOL 107 and more Lab Reports Geology in PDF only on Docsity!

Earth Systems Science

Laboratory 2

Exploring Minerals

Objectives: Explore the differences between minerals and other natural- and human-formed substances. Have practical experience with identifying and distinguishing different minerals based on their physical and chemical properties. Gain an appreciation for the diverse uses of minerals in our daily lives. Key Terms and Concepts: mineral crystal form color streak hardness luster cleavage magnetism PART 1: What is a mineral? Divide into groups of three or four people. Each group will be given a box with the following substances: plate glass, sugar, multivitamins, table salt, coal, wood, (ice), plastic, petrified wood, amber, sea shell, quartz crystal, quartz with no external form. For this part of the lab you are to examine different substances to speculate on whether or not they are minerals, and if not, why not. 1.1) Start by giving the definition for a mineral. Write your group’s definition on your answer sheet.

1.2) Based on your definition of a mineral, which of the following substances are minerals, and

which are not minerals? For each non-mineral, explain which part of the definition does not fit it.

Write you answers in the table on your answer sheet.

Substances:

Plate Glass Multivitamins Sugar Table Salt Coal

Sea Shell Amber (petrified

tree sap)

Wood Ice or Snow Plastic

Petrified wood Quartz crystal Quartz with no

external crystal

shape

PART 2: Identifying minerals

Working in a group of three or four people, identify all the minerals in the tray you are given.

Fill out the form on the last page of this handout, and use the attached tables (in the appendix to

this lab) to identify the minerals. There will be a mineral identification QUIZ in lab later

this semester, so make sure you can recognize and tell apart all the minerals in your set.

General Order of testing/observing:

1. Luster – metallic or non? Light or dark if non?

2. Hardness – get general range testing with glass, knife, fingernail, etc.

3. Streak for metallic luster minerals

4. Cleavage for non-metallic minerals

5. Other properties

PART 3: Matching Minerals and Products

Select four of the household and industrial products listed below. Each product contains at least

one of the various minerals you studied in Part 2. Examine and test the products to determine

which mineral is in which product. Why do each mineral's properties make it useful for a given

application? Write a summary of your findings on the answer sheet.

LIST OF PRODUCTS

Sandpaper (1 mineral from the list)

Tums (1 mineral from the list)

Drywall (1 mineral from the list)

Sparkle Crest (2 minerals from the list )

Table Salt (1 mineral from the list)

Wire (1 mineral from the list)

Beads (each bead is a different mineral)

Shower after Shower Powder (1 mineral from the list)

Fingernail polish (2 minerals from the list)

COVERGIRL Ultimate Finish (2 minerals from the list)

No. 2 Pencil (1 mineral from the list)

Chalk (1 mineral from the list)

Polished Slab of Rock (several minerals from the list)

Patching Powder (1 mineral from the list)

Appendix: Mineral Identification Tables

Step 1. Is the mineral metallic or non-metallic? If metallic, use Table 1 to identify the mineral.

If non-metallic, use Table 2 or Table 3.

Step 2. For non-metallic minerals, is the specimen light-colored or dark-colored? For dark-

colored nonmetallic minerals, use Table 2; for light-colored non-metallic minerals, use Table 3.

Table 2. Dark-colored non-metallic minerals.

1. What is the mineral's hardness? 2. What is the mineral's cleavage? 3. Compare the mineral's physical properties to the other distinctive properties below. 4. Mineral name HARD (H>5.5) Scratches glass; not scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Excellent or good; 2 cleavages at almost 90 º Translucent dark gray, blue- gray, or black; may have silvery iridescence; striations on surface; H=6. Plagioclase feldspar HARD (H>5.5) Scratches glass; not scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Excellent or good; 2 cleavages at almost 90 º Translucent brown, gray, green, or red; exsolution lamellae; H=6. Potassium feldspar HARD (H>5.5) Scratches glass; not scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Excellent or good; 2 cleavages at 60º and 120 º Opaque black; often has an elongate crystal shape; H=5.5. Hornblende HARD (H>5.5) Scratches glass; not scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Excellent or good; 2 cleavages at nearly 90 º Opaque black; often has blocky shape; H=5.5-6. Augite (one type of pyroxene) HARD (H>5.5) Scratches glass; not scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage poor or absent Transparent or translucent gray, brown, or purple; glassy luster; concoidal fracture; H=7. Quartz (SiO 2 ) (variety smoky quartz (black/brown) or amethyst (purple)) HARD (H>5.5) Scratches glass; not scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage poor or absent Transparent to translucent red or brown (usually); H=7. Garnet HARD (H>5.5) Scratches glass; not scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage poor or absent Transparent to translucent olive green; usually small glassy grains; H=7. Olivine Hardness near or below glass Cleavage poor or absent Color yellow-brown to dark brown; tarnishes yellow to brown; amorphous masses; luster dull or earthy; streak yellow-brown; H=1.5-5.5. Limonite (Fe 2 O 3  n H 2 O) SOFT (H<5.5) Does not scratch glass; scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage good or excellent Purple or green cubes or octahedrons; octahedral cleavage; translucent to transparent; H=4. Fluorite SOFT (H<5.5) Does not scratch glass; scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage good or excellent Color usually yellow-brown to brown or black; luster submetallic to non-metallic; streak white to pale yellow- brown; H=3.5-4. Sphalerite (ZnS)

Table 2 continued.

SOFT (H<5.5) Does not scratch glass; scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage good or excellent Splits easily into thin sheets along one cleavage plane; brown or black; translucent; H=2.5-3. Biotite mica SOFT (H<5.5) Does not scratch glass; scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage poor or absent Opaque, tarnished brown or green; H=2.5; malleable. Copper (Cu) SOFT (H<5.5) Does not scratch glass; scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage poor or absent Opaque earthy red; red to red- brown streak; H=1.5 to 6. Hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ) SOFT (H<5.5) Does not scratch glass; scratched by masonry nail or knife blade Cleavage poor or absent Translucent or opaque dark green; can be scratched by fingernail; feels greasy or soapy; H= Talc

Exploring Minerals for Laboratory 2 - Earth Systems Science | GEOL 107, Lab Reports of Geology

Related documents

Partial preview of the text

Download Exploring Minerals for Laboratory 2 - Earth Systems Science | GEOL 107 and more Lab Reports Geology in PDF only on Docsity!

Laboratory 2

Exploring Minerals

1.2) Based on your definition of a mineral, which of the following substances are minerals, and

which are not minerals? For each non-mineral, explain which part of the definition does not fit it.

Write you answers in the table on your answer sheet.

Substances:

Plate Glass Multivitamins Sugar Table Salt Coal

Sea Shell Amber (petrified

tree sap)

Wood Ice or Snow Plastic

Petrified wood Quartz crystal Quartz with no

external crystal

shape

PART 2: Identifying minerals

Working in a group of three or four people, identify all the minerals in the tray you are given.

Fill out the form on the last page of this handout, and use the attached tables (in the appendix to

this lab) to identify the minerals. There will be a mineral identification QUIZ in lab later

this semester, so make sure you can recognize and tell apart all the minerals in your set.

General Order of testing/observing:

1. Luster – metallic or non? Light or dark if non?

2. Hardness – get general range testing with glass, knife, fingernail, etc.

3. Streak for metallic luster minerals

4. Cleavage for non-metallic minerals

5. Other properties

PART 3: Matching Minerals and Products

Select four of the household and industrial products listed below. Each product contains at least

one of the various minerals you studied in Part 2. Examine and test the products to determine

which mineral is in which product. Why do each mineral's properties make it useful for a given

application? Write a summary of your findings on the answer sheet.

LIST OF PRODUCTS

Sandpaper (1 mineral from the list)

Tums (1 mineral from the list)

Drywall (1 mineral from the list)

Sparkle Crest (2 minerals from the list )

Table Salt (1 mineral from the list)

Wire (1 mineral from the list)

Beads (each bead is a different mineral)

Shower after Shower Powder (1 mineral from the list)

Fingernail polish (2 minerals from the list)

COVERGIRL Ultimate Finish (2 minerals from the list)

No. 2 Pencil (1 mineral from the list)

Chalk (1 mineral from the list)

Polished Slab of Rock (several minerals from the list)

Patching Powder (1 mineral from the list)

Appendix: Mineral Identification Tables

Step 1. Is the mineral metallic or non-metallic? If metallic, use Table 1 to identify the mineral.

If non-metallic, use Table 2 or Table 3.

Step 2. For non-metallic minerals, is the specimen light-colored or dark-colored? For dark-

colored nonmetallic minerals, use Table 2; for light-colored non-metallic minerals, use Table 3.

Table 2. Dark-colored non-metallic minerals.

Table 2 continued.

Table 3. Light-colored non-metallic minerals.

1. What is the

mineral's hardness?

2. What is the

mineral's

cleavage?

3. Compare the mineral's

physical properties to other

distinctive properties below.

4. Mineral name

HARD (H>5.5)

Scratches glass; not

scratched by masonry

nail or knife blade

Cleavage

excellent or

good; two

cleavages at

about 90º

White or gray; striations on

surfaces; H=6.

Plagioclase feldspar

HARD (H>5.5)

Scratches glass; not

scratched by masonry