Justin H:

Mineral Identification Report

method is an orderly way of organizing your thoughts. Scientists use it too, so why cant we? 1. State the problem (the objective in the form of a question). 2. Gather information. 3. Form a hypothesis. 4. Experiment! 5. Record and analyze data. 6. Form a conclusion. 7. Communicate results.

= Sulfur

Do you think the steps below of the scientific method must be followed in order? Yes, because the scientific

Now that you are done researching and identifying your mineral fill-in the information for each step of the scientific method below. Then, number which step was first, second, etc. Objective: Use the steps of the scientific method to identify a mystery mineral. Materials: -Mineral -Streak Plate -Mohs Hardness Minerals -Magnet -Word Mineral Identification Data Sheet -A-Z Mineral Identification Website -Google Images -

Procedure: 1. Mr. Finan gave me a mineral. 2. I tested it for all the different ways to identify it. 3. I went to all the different websites and tested my data against minerals. 4. I made two guesses, and then Mr. Finan revealed it.

1. State the problem. (Hint: Just write the objective above in the form of a question.) How can I use the scientific method to identify a mystery mineral? 2. Gather information. (Look it up and/or ask an expert) *see the attached Mineral Identification Data Sheet 3. Form a hypothesis. Write a statement that tells what mineral you think yours is (your two guesses). My hypothesis is that my mineral could be either Sulfur or Barite Rose. Personally, I am going with Sulfur. 4. Start the experiment! (Follow the procedure.) 5. Record and analyze data. *see the attached Mineral Identification Data Sheet 6. Form a conclusion. This must be a paragraph that includes:
An answer to the problem (question 1). How your hypothesis compares with the actual results. (Was your hypothesis correct? If not, how close were you?) A description of your mineral and what helped you find the identification of your mineral the most.

Type your paragraph here I used the scientific method to identify a mystery mineral my science teacher gave me during our mineral unit. First, Mr. Finan gave me a mystery mineral. I tested it using a streak test, a hardness test, and with my eyes, I identified the color and luster. Then, I also tried a special properties test, but my mineral did not have any special properties. Next, I went to all the different websites Mr. Finan provided for us and tested my data against different minerals. Finally, Mr. Finan revealed all of our mineral's names. After running all of these tests, I created a hypothesis. I guessed that my pure yellow mineral is the rotten-egg smelling mineral that nobody likes...sulfur! My guess proved accurate when Mr. Finan revealed the names of our minerals. Sulfur can be yellow, red, green, or gray, and it has resinous luster. Its cleavage was imperfect, but its fracture was sectile. The density average for sulfur is 2.06. It tends to have a white streak, and it has a hardness of 1.5-2.5, near gypsum on Mohs hardness scale. Sulfur does not have any special properties though. My mineral can be used for explosives and fumigants. It is 2.58 on an electronegativity scale. This mineral can be found in meteorites, hot springs, and volcanoes. Color helped me find my mineral the most, even though color has lots of impurities and other stuff. There are
WCS 6th Grade Science

not many minerals that are yellow like mine. It did not actually smell like rotten eggs though. In conclusion, I had a lot of fun in this project, and I now have a special bond with sulfur. 7. Communicate your results. Post this report and your Data Sheet where people can see it!

WCS 6th Grade Science