What are the unique properties of minerals?
• Each mineral has unique properties. • Crystal Forms • Luster • Hardness • Streak • Acid Reaction • Fluorescence • Crystals • Crystals are structures made up of a regular repeated pattern of connected atoms or molecules. • There are many different forms of crystal. • Cubes, spheres, pyramids, spikes, and some are even 12 sided (like a die) • Each mineral has a specific crystal form. • Luster • Luster is the quality or appearance of light reflected. • There is metallic luster and nonmetallic luster. • Metallic luster: • Reflects light like metal. • Silver and gold have metallic luster. • Nonmetallic luster: • Includes silky, glassy, pearly, and dull. • Quartz has nonmetallic luster. • Luster • Hardness • Hardness is the resistance to scratching or abrasion. • This is the most useful characteristic of minerals. • Each mineral has a specific hardness. • There is a scale called “Mohs Scale”. • It lists ten minerals in order of their hardness. • Hardness • Mohs scale consists of ten minera
