Minerals and Rocks UnitWeek 17

Directions1.Prepare your desk for science.

• Put your homework on top of your desk.2.Use voice level 0 (no voice) to look at

notebook pg. 48 and think about what four physical properties we can use to identify minerals. Which one do you think is the best one to use? Why?

Targets & Warm UpTargets:• Students will use physical properties to

identify minerals.

Warm Up: Which physical property do you think is the best one to use to identify minerals? Why?

Homework Review

Minerals• Minerals are natural, nonliving solid crystals

that make up rocks• To identify a mineral, scientists test some of its

physical properties. A physical property is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing the substance

How to Identify a MineralColorLuster

The way a mineral’s surface reflects light

StreakThe color of the powder of a mineral

HardnessThe mineral’s resistance to being scratched

Table of Contents

Date Title PageMinerals Experiment 49, 50

Once you are finished with the Table of Contents, go to page 49, 50 and add the title and date to the top of the page.

Your task today

You will use physical properties to identify minerals.

To do this, you will…1. Observe and record the mineral’s color and luster2. Test and record the mineral’s streak and hardness3. Compare your results to the Mineral Identification

Table4. Use your results and the information in the table to

identify each mineral.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Hardness• How to test for hardness:

– A fingernail has a hardness of 2.– A copper penny has a hardness of 3.– The paperclip has a hardness of 5.

Scratched by a fingernail?

Scratched by a penny?

Scratched by a paperclip?

Soft yes yes yesMedium no yes yes

Hard no no yes or no

Reflection Questions

• Compare your observations to the mineral identification chart.

• Which minerals do you think you can identify? Why?

Targets (Revisited)

Targets:• Students will use physical properties to

identify minerals.

Homework

Subject Homework Due DateScience Minerals Quiz Wednesday

Physical vs. Chemical Properties

To identify a mineral, scientists test some of its physical properties. A physical property is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing the substance

A chemical property is a characteristic of a material that become evident when the material undergoes a chemical reaction or chemical change.

The Acid TestWhat is the acid test?• You can test minerals by putting a small amount of a acid on a

mineral that you are trying to identify.• Minerals that have calcium carbonate (CaCO3) will react when

an acid is added to it. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released and the mineral fizzes.

What the acid test tells us• If the mineral fizzes, then the mineral contains calcium

carbonate.• If the mineral does not fizz, then the mineral does not contain

calcium carbonate.

The Acid Test Video

Video 1: Acid test & granite rock (pink and white feldspar, gray quartz, and some black mica)

Video 2: Acid test & calcite

The Acid Test

Minerals that react

to acid

CaCO3 = calcium

carbonate

1

2

3

4

5

6