Gizmos - Mineral Identification, Answer key. Complete Solution 2021 100% Correct Verified Answers Guaranteed A+: Latest 2023:2024

Student Exploration: Mineral Identification

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and

prompts in the orange boxes.

Vocabulary: crystal, density, hardness, homogeneous, luster, mass, mineral, streak, volume

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. Suppose you find a yellow piece of metal in a stream. How could you tell if it is real gold?

Hold a magnet up to the gold. If it's real gold it will not stick to the magnet. Real gold is not

magnetic. Fake gold, on the other hand, will stick to the magnet.

2. In the city a street peddler offers to sell you a diamond ring for thirty bucks. How could you test if the rock in

the ring is a real diamond?

 place the stone in front of your mouth and, like a mirror, fog it up with your breath. If the

stone stays fogged for a few seconds, then it's probably a fake. A real diamond won't fog up

easily since the condensation doesn't stick to the surface. And who would sell a diamond

ring for 35$.

Gizmo Warm-up: Determining density

A mineral is a naturally formed crystal. You can identify a mineral by

its properties. In the Mineral Identification Gizmo, under Choose

property to test, select Density.

1. Mass is the amount of substance in an object. Drag the

mineral sample onto the balance.

What is the mass of the mineral? (Units are grams, g.) 36.4g

2. Volume is the amount of space an object takes up. The volume is measured by how much the water

rises in a graduated cylinder. Drag the mineral into the cylinder.

 What is the volume of the mineral? (Units are milliliters, or mL.) 22ml

3. Density is a measure of how “light” or “heavy” an object is for its size. To find the density of an object,

divide the mass by the volume. (Calculators are recommended.)

 What is the density of the mineral? (Units are grams per milliliter, g/mL.) 2.6 g/ml

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Activity A:

Mineral properties

Get the Gizmo ready:

● Under Property, select Appearance.

● Check that Sample A is on the screen. (If not, press

Previous until sample A is there.)

Question: What properties allow us to identify minerals?

1. Observe: Minerals are made of atoms in a repeating pattern and often form crystals. The shapes of

crystals can help identify the mineral. Luster is the way the mineral’s surface reflects light. There are many

ways to describe luster, four examples are shown. Color can sometimes be a useful way to identify a

mineral, but it is not always reliable.

A. Describe the crystal shape of Sample A: Hexagon/ irregular

B. Describe its color and luster: Variable, glassy

2. Calculate: Select the Density test. What is the density of Sample A? 2.6 g/mL

3. Measure: Select the Hardness test. Hardness is a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched. It is

measured on a scale of 1 to 10 called Mohs scale. If a mineral scratches a fingernail (hardness 2.5) but not

a penny (3.5), its hardness is about 3.

A. Drag the mineral sample across each test

object. Which objects are scratched?

Fingernail, penny, glass, steel plate

B. What is the estimated hardness of the mineral? 7

4. Observe: Select the Streak test. The streak is the color of a material’s powder. You can observe the streak

by rubbing the mineral across a tile called a “streak plate.”

 Drag the mineral sample across the streak plate. What color is the streak?

It is harder than 6.5 so there is no streak.

Note: If the mineral is harder than the streak plate (about 6.5), it won’t leave a streak.

5. Observe: Select the Acid test. Some minerals cause hydrochloric acid to bubble and fizz.

 Drag the eyedropper of acid over to the mineral. Does the acid fizz?

No

6. Identify: Now it is time to identify the mineral. Look at your Mineral Key. Find a mineral that has properties

that match Sample A. Type the name under Mineral name in the Gizmo and press Submit. It may take

several guesses to get it right.

What mineral is Sample A? quartz

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Activity B:

Identifying

minerals

Get the Gizmo ready:

● Click Next so that Sample B is showing.

Goal: Use a key to identify minerals.

1. Collect data: Use the Gizmo to collect data about minerals B through F. Fill in the data table.

Sample Crystal

shape

Color/

Luster Density Hardness Streak Fizzes in

acid?

B Rectangle/

irregular

Pink/white,

pearly 2.6 g/mL 6 white no

C Irregular

Golden

yellow 19.3 g/mL 3 yellow no

D

Rhombus/

irregular Variable,

glassy 2.7 g/mL 3 white yes

E

Flat sheets Black/

white,

glassy

3.0 g/mL 3 White no

F

Cubic

Variable,

glassy 2.2 g/mL 3 white no

2. Identify: Use the Mineral Key to identify minerals B through F. Submit your answers in the Gizmo. (Use the

Previous and Next buttons to switch samples.) Record your results below:

Sample Mineral name (first try) Mineral name (actual) Correct on first try?

B Feldspar Feldspar yes

C gold gold yes

D Calcite Calcite yes

E Mica Mica yes

F Halite Halite yes

3. On your own: Continue to practice identifying minerals. (There are 26 samples in the Gizmo: A through Z.)

Record your findings in your notebook or on separate sheets of paper.

I found out how to Identified minerals.

4. Form a conclusion: Which properties were most useful for identifying minerals? Why?

Hardness The ability to resist being scratched—or hardness—is one of the most useful properties for

identifying minerals

Luster Luster is how a mineral reflects light

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Color One of the most obvious properties of a mineral is color

Streak

Specific Gravity

Mineral Key

Use the following steps to identify a mineral:

1. Decide if the mineral is metallic or non-metallic based on its luster and streak.

2. If the mineral is non-metallic, decide if it is light or dark in color.

3. Find a mineral in the list with the same density and hardness as your sample.

4. Check that the other properties—crystal shape, color, streak, acid reaction—match.

Metallic minerals (luster of each mineral ranges from metallic to dull)

Mineral Crystal

shape Color Density Hardness Streak

Fizzes

in

acid?

Galena

(lead ore)

Cubic/

irregular Gray 7.5 g/mL 3 Dark gray No

Gold Irregular Golden

yellow 19.3 g/mL 3 Yellow No

Graphite

(pencil lead) Irregular Dark gray 2.2 g/mL 2 Gray No

Hematite

(iron ore) Irregular Red-brown

to black 5.3 g/mL 6 Red-brown No

Magnetite

(iron ore) Irregular Black 5.2 g/mL 6 Black No

Malachite

(copper ore) Irregular Dark green 4.0 g/mL 4 Light green No

Pyrite

(fool’s gold)

Cubic/

irregular

Greenish

yellow 5.0 g/mL 6 Dark green No

Silver Irregular Silver

gray

10.5 g/mL 3 Gray No

Non-metallic minerals, mostly dark in color (glassy, pearly or dull luster)

Mineral Crystal

shape

Color/

luster Density Hardnes

s

Streak Fizzes

in acid?

Corundum

(Ruby)

Hexagon/

irregular

Dark red,

glassy/dull 4.0 g/mL 9 No streak No

Garnet Ball shape Dark red, 4.0 g/mL 7 No streak No