GEOL 121 MINERAL MYSTERY LAB Learning Objectives At the end of this lab students will be able to Name Dylan Hale Lab Section 002 Observe characteristics of minerals Describe differences in physical properties of minerals Use physical properties to identify minerals Develop and produce a system for identifying different minerals via a flow chart Introduction Ultimately geology is about storytelling we can think of the entire Earth s history as a book the pages in the book are filled with stories that we developed by looking at the rocks that form our planet Minerals that make up those rocks help us identify the rocks so we can tell their stories We also use minerals in our lives every day often without even noticing Minerals are in your cell phone your car your countertops well some of our countertops anyway and even your walls So not only do minerals help us tell Earth s story but they also help make our modern lives possible Minerals come in all shapes colors and sizes but they share common characteristics that we can use to sort them into groups In this lab you take on the role of a mineralogist by testing various physical properties sorting minerals into categories with similar characteristics and then creating a flowchart to use to identify minerals 1 Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Step 1 Search for clues Observe the grid of minerals in front of you None of them are currently named that s okay Before we get into labeling let s take a close look at each of the minerals Q1 What are some physical characteristics that multiple minerals share What are three different ways that you could divide these minerals into 2 3 groups based on those characteristics Option 1 Group 1 characteristic Translucent Clear Group 2 characteristic Darker colored Group 3 characteristic optional Mineral s Group 3 characteristic optional Mineral s Group 3 characteristic optional Mineral s Group 1 characteristic Reflective Group 2 characteristic Non Reflective Mineral s K A B C Option 2 Mineral s H I J B Option 3 Mineral s I D E H L Mineral s A K G Group 1 characteristic Smooth Group 2 characteristic Rough Mineral s J I B C Mineral s L K D A H E Once you have come up with three different ways to divide these minerals into groups based on their physical characteristics compare the groups you made with the other pair of students in your small group What groups are the same What groups are different Is there more than one valid way to group the minerals 2 Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Q2 Take a look at the tools next to your mineral grid Try out some of these tools on your minerals Some tools are for getting a closer look at the minerals some are for scratching the minerals and some are for checking the streak a mineral makes The HCl bottle is used to check for effervescence i e a fizz reaction Are there any similarities between how different minerals interact with particular tools What are some other ways that you could divide these minerals into 2 3 groups based on those similarities Option 1 Group 1 characteristic No reaction to acid Group 2 characteristic Reaction to acid Group 3 characteristic optional Mineral s Group 3 characteristic optional Mineral s Group 3 characteristic optional Mineral s Group 1 characteristic Does show scratch mark Group 2 characteristic Does not show scratch mark Mineral s G E Mineral s A D F Mineral s H K C A F Option 2 Mineral s L G K H D B J Option 3 Group 1 characteristic Magnetic Group 2 characteristic Non Magnetic Mineral s D Mineral s C E K F A B I J H L G 3 Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Q3 Compare the following pairs of minerals and list any differences that you notice between the two Differences in terms of physical characteristics and differences in terms of interaction with tools are both valid Mineral A Mineral F Hard Glossy Smooth Flat Milky Glossy Dense Glossy Mineral B Mineral J Mineral C Mineral G Crystalline Translucent Milky somewhat reflective Mineral D Mineral K Rough Abrasive Dark Dense Granite Looking Light Colored Texture is somewhere in between smooth and rough 4 Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Mineral E Mineral I Shiny Abrasive Mineral H Mineral L Dark Reflective Light weight Very Reflective More Dense Relatively Smooth Smooth on two sides and Abrasive on the other Dark Non reflective Again reconvene with your small group For each mineral pair discuss what difference you think will be the most useful for distinguishing between the two minerals Come to a consensus for each mineral pair within your small group Circle or highlight that difference in each of the tables above 5 Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Q4 Now put together all of your observations List 3 5 physical properties for each mineral Mineral B Translucent Smooth and Flat Mineral C Crystalline Translucent Light Mineral A Solid White Milky Hard Mineral D Mineral E Mineral F Rough Abrasive Dark Shiny Abrasive Glassy White Opaque Clear Mineral H Mineral I No reaction to acid Dark No magnetic Non magnetic Very reflective Dense Mineral G Milky somewhat reflective Non Magnetic Mineral J Dense Glossy Shows Streak Mineral K Mineral L No reaction to acid Nonmagnetic Shows Streak Non Magnetic does not show streak Non reflective 6 Mineral Mystery Lab GEOL 121 Step 2 Identify the suspects Q1 What did you learn from Step 1 From doing the activity in step 1 I learned how different traits of rocks effect things like streak luster cleavage etc It was interesting to see how each rock reacted to our tests using the tools provided Q2 Applying your understanding of mineral physical properties use the following table which contains the name and physical properties of minerals to identify your 12 unknown mineral specimens We will identify Mineral A and Mineral B together as a class Work in pairs and then share your findings with your larger group Place your answers in the space provided below the table Quartz SiO2 Color colorless white pink any color Streak white colorless Luster glassy Hardness 7 Conchoidal fracture common Specific Gravity 2 65 Plagioclase Feldspar NaAlSi3O8 to CaAl2Si2O8 in varying proportions Color white to green gray Streak white colorless Luster milky to translucent Hardness 6 Cleavage good 2 planes at 90 Striations on cleavage planes Specific Gravity 2 62 2 75 Halite NaCl Color colorless Streak white colorless Luster glassy Hardness 2 5 Cleavage perfect 3 planes 90 Salty taste Muscovite mica KAl2 AlSi3O10 F OH 2 Color colorless to pale yellow gold Streak white colorless Luster glassy milky Hardness 2 2