Crystals & Minerals

Crystals- First we poured the beaker with distilled water, and heated it on an electric burner. We had 3 choices of minerals which were Halite, Sugar and Epsomite. And to identify we added different food color in beakers. We kept stiring the solution and kept adding the mineral, untill the solution was fully saturated. After that we turned the burner off, and placed a tag on the beaker for identification. Then they were placed in the window, and we observed them every day, and took readings. We used 2 processes for crystallizing. First evaporation takes place, and later it solidifies.

Mineral Properties-

Color  Color when a person looks at the mineral.

Streak   Color which is produced when mineral is scratched.

Luster

Metallic Luster                                         Non-Metallic Luster

Cleavage   Minerals which cut evenly

Fracture  Minerals which cut unevenly

Composition   Chemical properties.

Other Properties:

Magnetism  Minerals that consist magnetic energy

Mineral Identification

Graphite:

Color-Silver

Luster-Metallic

Opaque

Fracture

Quartz:

Color-Transparent, White

Luster-Non Metallic

Clear, blurry image

Cleavage