Mineral Identifcation Webquest  - Under Construction                             

Goals:

• Apply mineral vocabulary to mineral identification

• Recognize the difference between physical and chemical identification

• Follow a flow chart for mineral identification

Answer these questions as you follow the links.  You may wish to open up a new document in Microsoft

Word and copy and paste the questions and the table.

Go to:  The Geoman's Mineral Identification Tests Page and to the Rockdoctor's guide to minerals  and answer these questions.  It would be best to have two open windows so that you could read what each says before you answer the questions.:

1.  What is a mineral?

Investigate physical properties:

2.  What is luster and why is it considered a fundamental test?

3.  What is the difference between metallic and non-metallic luster?

4.  What is the difference between color and streak and which is the more reliable?

5.  Contrast hardness and a mineral breaking.

6.  Contrast cleavage and fracture.

7.  Describe specific gravity and its usefulness to identifying minerals.

8.  What is crystal form and what causes it?

Investigate chemical properties by writing a brief explanation about:

 9.   Taste

10.  Magnetism

11.  Smell

12.  Effervescence

13.  Birefringence

Notice that each of these web pages have lovely flow charts to identify minerals.  Use those to identify

these minerals:

 Metallic Luster:

14.  Gray and high specific gravity.  2.5 hardness.

15   Black and magnetic.

Non-metallic:

16.  Red to brown, fracture, 6.5 hardness, used as an abrasive  Bonus:  Which state's gemstone is this?

17.  1 direction perfect cleavage, soft, used in making the front-view screen in some wood stoves

Go to: The Amethyst Galleries' Birthstone page.   Tell me all about your stone:

18.  Be sure to include the month, the stones name and describe its physical and chemical characteristics.

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