Mineral Identification Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards identifying key characteristics, colors, textures, cleavage patterns, and specific physical properties for various metallic, clear, colorful, and white minerals.

Galena

Metallic luster, silver color, heavy (dense), 3 directions of cleavage at 90 degrees.

Pyrite

Metallic luster, shiny gold color, cubic crystals, dark streak, heavy (dense).

Copper

Copper color (with blackish-green corrosion), metallic luster.

Graphite

Dull metallic luster, silver grey streak, greasy feel, writes on paper, low density.

Hematite

Reddish brown streak; occurs in a metallic silver color version as well as a rusty red version.

Magnetite

Magnetic, black, dull but with metallic luster on fresh surface, dense, dark streak.

Quartz

Clear, can have prismatic crystal (hexagonal), scratches glass, no cleavage (fracture).

Halite

Clear, 3 directions of cleavage at 90 degrees, tastes salty (don't!).

Calcite

Clear to white, 3 directions of cleavage not at 90 degrees, fizzes in acid.

Potassium Feldspar

Pink color, striations, 2 directions of cleavage at 90 degrees, can scratch glass.

Sulfur

Yellow, smells like eggs, no cleavage.

Garnet

Greenish yellow, 12-sided (dodecahedral) crystals, scratches glass.

Corundum

Dark red color, can scratch glass and all the other minerals, hexagonal crystals.

Muscovite

Silvery grey, 1 direction of cleavage (peels into sheets), scratch with fingernail.

Biotite Mica

Black-gold, 1 direction of cleavage.

Olivine

Glassy luster, lime green color.

Pyroxene

Black-green color, two directions of cleavage at 90 degrees, white streak.

Talc

Pearly white to pale green, can be scratched with a fingernail, soapy feel.

Gypsum

White, striated, can be scratched with a fingernail.

Kaolinite

Soft, powdery appearance, sticks to tongue (don't!).

Plagioclase Feldspar

Whitish blue, two directions of cleavage at 90 degrees, scratches glass.

Biotite Mica

electrical insulator

Muscovite mica

Makeup

Graphite

Pencils

Kaolinite

ceramics

Corundum

Ruby and spahire

Copper

coins

Pyrite

Sulfuric acid

Galena

Source for lead bullets

Talc

Baby powder

Calcite

Antiacid

Halite

Table salt

Quartz

Glass

Olivine

Jewerly

Hematite

Source of iron for steel

Magnetite

Magnets

Potassium Feldspar

False teeth

Plagioclase Feldspar

Ceramics

Garnet

Sand paper

Augite

Decorative building stone

Sulfur

Gunpowder

Gypsum

ceramics