What are the physical properties of minerals?
The common physical properties used to identify minerals include crystal form, luster, color, streak, hardness, cleavage, fracture, and specific gravity. However there are other properties used to identify minerals as well. These include reaction to acid, taste, smell, and magnetism. Some of these tests are more accurate then others when identifying minerals. For example color is not as reliable test as hardness. Since minerals such as quartz come in a variety of colors it’s hard to use color to identify them. However, when using the hardness/scratch test quartz has a definite number making it very easy to identify it. To see further definitions of any of the terms listed simply click on the word to be redirected to a glossary. What are the steps to follow in identifying minerals? Step 1: Determine what group of minerals; silicates or non-silicates; your mineral belongs to. What’s the difference between minerals being silicates or non-silicates? Since there are so many minerals on the
