TOPIC : IDENTIFICATION OF MINERALS (LAB 1a)

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To familiar with the physical properties of minerals in laboratory by hand.
2.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES
1.

Students should able to identify various specimens of mineral by physical testing.

2.

Students should able to identify minerals content in rock formation.

3.0 THEORY
Each mineral possesses certain physical properties or characteristics by which it may be
recognized or identified. Some are subjected to certain simple tests. Physical properties are
useful in mineral identification.
A mineral can be defined as a natural inorganic substance having a particular chemical
composition or range of composition, and a regular atomic structure to which its
crystalline from is related. To study rocks, it is necessary to know the common minerals
that formed the rock.

4.0 EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

a) Minerals from Reference Set

b) Hardness Pens Set

c) Information & Hints

d) Eye dropper bottle with dilute HCI (appx. 10% solution)
e) Mineral Identification Chart

5.0 PROCEDURE
Students should learn to familiarize and observe the samples according by doing few
physical tests and tabulate the results from the observation in the Table 1.1 attached for:
a) Name of mineral
b) Colour
c) Luster
d) Hardness
e) Reaction with acid
f) Others/usage
6.0 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

(a) MINERALS NAMES

Refer to the samples prepared (Mineral from reference set).
(b) COLOUR
The colour of the mineral is that seen by eye. Colour may be influenced by impurities
in the sample, the light in the room or strong reflective surfaces. Therefore, colour is a
general rather than specific indicator.
(c) STREAK
Streak is the colour of a mineral in its powdered form. We can observe streak when we
scraped a mineral along a roughened surface such as unglazed pottery (porcelain slab
streak plate), that mark left behind can be a characteristic feature of the mineral. The
streak is not necessarily the same as the colour of the mineral.
(d) LUSTRE
Luster is reflected from the surface of a mineral, the amount of light is a function of the
state of the surface. Luster is described in terms of the degree of brightness.

Metallic

Like polished
metal

Submetallic

Less brilliant

Dull

e.g. chalk

Viterous

Like broken glass

(e) HARDNESS
The resistance of a mineral to abrasion (scratching) is termed hardness. This property is
determined by rubbing the mineral to be identified against another mineral of known
hardness. One will stretch the other (unless they have the same hardness). Geologists
used a standard hardness scale, called the Mohs scale developed by German
Mineralogist Friedrich Mohs (1773 1839) which assigns relative hardnesses to
several common and a few rare and precious minerals as given below.

Relative hardness

Minerals

Mineralogy

10

Diamond

Carbon

Corundum

Alumina

Topaz

Aluminium silicate

Quartz

Silica

Feldspar

Alkali silica

Apatite

Calcium phosphate

Fluorite

Calcium fluoride

Calcite

Calcium carbonate

Gypsum

Hydrated calcium sulphate

Talc

Hydrated magnesium
silicate

(f) REACTION WITH ACID

When dilute hydrochloric acid (typically 10%) is capped on to some minerals a reaction
takes place. On calcite (CaCO3) bubbles of carbon dioxide are produced, in some iron
sulphide ores, hydrogen sulphide is produced.

7.0 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION

1.

Discuss the problem encountered while identify the minerals using field test
technique (simple test).
Contingent on the experience of the understudies, examples that are consistent with
their properties can be displayed to the class, or examples with a few difficulties
can be utilized. Heaps of minerals found in the field won't be totally consistent with

properties. It's ideal to discover that lesson in the lab and go into the field with
insight.
2.

Biefly describe how to identify minerals using laboratory technique

PHYSICAL PROPERTY
Color

Streak

DEFINITION
Visible light spectrum

TESTING METHOD
Look at the sample and

radiation reflected from a

determine its color - white,

mineral.
black, green, clear, etc.
Color of the mineral when it Grind a small amount of a
is powdered.

mineral into a powder on a

porcelain streak plate and
determine the color of the

Luster

Character of the light

powder.
Look at the sample to

reflected by a mineral.

determine if the mineral is

metallic in appearance
(looks like a chunk of
metal) or non-metallic
(doesn't look like a chunk of

Hardness

Resistance to scratching or

metal).
Use minerals of known

abrasion.

hardness from the Mohs

Hardness Kits. Scratch the
unknown mineral with a
known hardness to
determine which mineral is
harder. Continue doing this
with harder or softer
minerals from the kit until

Reaction to HCL

Chemical interaction of

the hardness is determined.

Place one small drop of HCl

hydrochloric acid and

on a sample a watch for a

calcium carbonate

reaction - effervesces

(CaCO3).

(bubbles).

8.0

CONCLUSION
For the conclusion, we utilize minerals in our regular day to day existences.
The material that was uprooted into the mantle amid development of the iron centre
contained copious oxygen, silica, magnesium, iron, aluminium, and calcium (in
addition to littler amounts of a scope of different components) and under the weights
and temperatures that win there, concoction responses (taking after the laws of
thermodynamics) produce aggravates that are known as olivine and pyroxene. In
development industry the mineral is use for wiring copper at high temperatures and
weights new gems may develop in strong materials (precious stones from coal,
transformative nature), amid the cooling of liquid materials (steel, from magmas,
molten rocks). Amid the dissipation of fluids (salt, sugar, reference to evaporites).