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Describe 5 mineral tests used to identify a mineral

2006-11-13 21:06:18 · 2 answers · asked by Bill 1 in Science & Mathematics Earth Sciences & Geology

2 answers

There is a whole battery of scientific tests used in mineral identification today however there are a number of tests that have been in use for a very long time which still work well.
1) Observation - what does it look like, colour, the streak it leaves on an unglazed tile. the weight in your hand etc.
2) Hardness. Its resistance to being scratched by a range of other minerals (Moe's scale)
3) Density - how much it weighs compared to the same volume of water.
4) The shape and form of its crystals.
5) Chemical analysis.
If you put these together with a lot of experience there are not many minerals you cannot identify.

2006-11-13 21:25:35 · answer #1 · answered by U.K.Export 6 · 0 0

I majored in geology. Minerals comprise calcite, quartz, rhodenite, feldspar, ulexite, gypsum... exams comprise scratch try for hardness and acid try stable success with homework

2016-12-14 06:52:50 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

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