2/17/2017

Minerals Physical Properties

From: http://webmineral.com/data/Rhodochrosite.shtml

The Physical Properties of Minerals

Crystal Habits and Cleavage /Fracture
Aggregates
Specific Gravity
Color
Special and Other
Streak Properties
Luster Tenacity
Hardness Radioactivity
External Crystal
Form

1
 2/17/2017

Physical properties of minerals

Review:
Minerals are composed of atoms, arranged in a specific
order, with a well defined chemical composition.
The physical properties of minerals are a direct result of
their chemical and structural characteristics.

Important Physical Properties

Crystal form or habit - The external morphology
of crystals generally reflect the internal arrangement
of their constituent atoms. This can be obscured,
however, if the mineral crystallized in an
environment that did not allow it to grow without
significant interaction with other crystals (even of
the same mineral).

2
 2/17/2017

Important Physical Properties I

Crystal Habits and Aggregates

Terms used to express habit and state of aggregation:

1. Mineral in isolated or distinct crystals may be described as:

a. Acicular b. Capillary and filiform c. Bladed

Important Physical Properties I

Crystal Habits and Aggregates
2. For groups of distinct crystals the following terms are used:

a. Dendritic

d. Drusy b. Reticulated c. Divergent or Radiated

3
 2/17/2017

Important Physical Properties I

Crystal Habits and Aggregates
3. Parallel or radiating groups of individual crystals are described as:

a. Columnar b. Bladed c. Fibrous d. Stellated e. Globular

f. Botryoidal g. Reniform h. Mammillary i. Colloform

Important Physical Properties I

Crystal Habits and Aggregates
4. A mineral aggregate composed of scales or lamellae is described as:

a. Foliated b. Micaceous

c. Lamellar or tabular d. Plumose

4
 2/17/2017

Important Physical Properties I

Crystal Habits and Aggregates
5. Miscellaneous terms:

a. Stalactic b. Concentric c. Pisolitic d. Olitic

e. Banded f. Massive g. Amygdaloidal h. Geode i. Concretion

Important Physical Properties

Luster - This property describes the appearance of
reflected light from the mineral's surface.

5
 2/17/2017

Important Physical Properties

Color - Although an obvious feature, it is often
unreliable to use to determine the type of mineral.

Color arises due to electronic transitions, often of trace

constituents, in the visible range of the EM spectrum. For
example, quartz is found in a variety of colors.

Color of a mineral may be quite diagnostic for the trace

element and coordination number of its bonding
environment.

Important Physical Properties

Streak - The color of a
mineral in its powdered form;
obtained by rubbing the mineral
against an unglazed porcelain
plate.
Streak is usually less variable than
color.
Useful for distinguishing between
minerals with metallic luster.

6
 2/17/2017

Density and Specific Gravity

Density - Defined as the mass divided by the volume and
normally designated by the Greek letter, rho,
= mass/volume; SI units: kg/m3 or kg m-3, but geologists
often use g/cm3 as the unit of choice.

Specific Gravity - Ratio of the mass of a substance to the

mass of an equal volume of water. Note that water = 1 g
cm-3. S.G. is unitless.
Examples - quartz (SiO2) has a S.G. of 2.65 while galena
(PbS) has a S.G. of 7.5 and gold (Au) has a S.G. of 19.3.

Color and Density

Two broad categories are ferromagnesian and
nonferromagnesian silicates, which simply means iron and
magnesian bearing or not. The presence or absence of Fe and
Mg strongly affects the external appearance (color) and density
of the minerals.
Ferromagnesian silicates - dark color, density range from 3.2 - 3.6 g/cc
Olivine - high T, low silica rocks; comprises over 50% of upper mantle
Pyroxenes - high T, low silica rocks
Amphiboles - esp. hornblende; moderate T, higher silica rocks
Mica - esp. biotite; moderate T, higher silica rocks
Garnet - common metamorphic mineral

7
 2/17/2017

Color and Density

Two broad categories are ferromagnesian and
nonferromagnesian silicates, which simply means iron and
magnesian bearing or not. The presence or absence of Fe and
Mg strongly affects the external appearance (color) and density
of the minerals.
Nonferromagnesian silicates - light color, density close to 2.7 g/cc
Mica - exp. muscovite; moderate T, higher silica rocks
Feldspars - plagioclase and orthoclase; most common mineral in crust;
form over a wide range of temperatures and melt compositions
Quartz - low T, high silica rocks; extremely stable at surface, hence it
tends to be a major component in sedimentary rocks.
Clay - esp. kaolinite; different types found in different soils

More Zoning

From http://www.geo.wvu.edu/~lang/Geol284/Min8IgFels

8
 2/17/2017

Zoning in Plagioclase Feldspar

Na-rich rim

Ca-rich core

Chrysotile Asbestos

Belongs to the Serpentine mineral family -

hydrated ferromagnesian silicate.

9
 2/17/2017

Crystal Forms: Quartz Feldspar

Intergrown cubic crystals of fluorite

10
 2/17/2017

Quartz Interfacial Angles

Perfectly Misshapen
Proportioned Crystals
Crystals
Stenos Law (1669): Crystal face internal angles remain constant!

Macroscopic Forms and Microscopic Blocks

Cubes

Macroscopic
Crystal Forms

Rhombs

11
 2/17/2017

Important Physical Properties

Hardness - This is the resistance of the mineral to
abrasion or scratching. This property doesn't vary
greatly from sample to sample of the same mineral, and
thus is highly diagnostic. It also is a direct reflection of
the bonding type and internal atomic arrangement. A
value is obtained by comparing the mineral to a standard
scale devised by Moh, which is comprised of 10
minerals ranging in hardness from talc (softest) to
diamond (hardest).

Mohs Hardness Scale

12
 2/17/2017

Fingernail Hardness (2.5) Scratches Gypsum (2)

Important Physical Properties

Tenacity - The resistance that a mineral offers to
breaking, crushing, bending, or tearing in short, its
cohesiveness is known as tenacity.
The following terms are used to describe tenacity in
minerals:
1. Brittle a mineral that easily breaks and powders easily.
2. Malleable a mineral that can be hammered out into
thin sheets.
3. Sectile a mineral that can cut into thin shavings with a
knife.

13
 2/17/2017

Important Physical Properties

The following terms are used to describe tenacity in
minerals:
4. Ductile a mineral that can be drawn into a wire.
5. Flexible - a mineral that bends but does not resume its
original shape when the pressure is released
6. Elastic a mineral that, after being bent, will resume its
original position upon the release of the pressure.

Important Physical Properties

Cleavage - Orientation and number of planes of
weakness within a mineral. Directly reflects the
orientation of weak bonds within the crystal structure.
This feature is also highly diagnostic.

Fracture - This describes how a mineral breaks if it is

not along well defined planes. In minerals with low
symmetry and highly interconnected atomic networks,
irregular fracture is common.

14
 2/17/2017

Planer Cleavage in Mica

Weak Bonding Yields Planer Cleavage

15
 2/17/2017

Amphibole Cleavage ~120/60

Rhombohedral Cleavage in Calcite

16
 2/17/2017

Conchoidal Fracture in Glass

Special and Other Properties

Striations - Commonly found on plagioclase feldspar. Straight,
parallel lines on one or more of the cleavage planes caused by
mineral twinning.

Plagioclase
striations

17
 2/17/2017

Special and Other Properties

Magnetism - Property of a substance such that it will
spontaneous orient itself within a magnetic field. Magnetite
(Fe3O4) has this property and it can be used to distinguish it from
other non-magnetite iron oxides, such as hematite (Fe2O3).

Special and Other Properties

Double Refraction - Seen in calcite crystals. Light is split or
refracted into two components giving rise to two distinct images.

Calcite Double Refraction

18