What are 5 diagnostic properties of minerals?
Most minerals can be characterized and classified by their unique physical properties: hardness, luster, color, streak, specific gravity, cleavage, fracture, and tenacity.
What minerals are translucent?
Calcite, gypsum, topaz, and many micas, are often commonly translucent.
What minerals are flexible?
Tenacity is particularly useful in telling some of the metallic minerals apart. Gold is malleable, pyrite (and most other look-a-likes) is not. Gold is also sectile and – in thin sheets – flexible. Galena is brittle, while platinum is malleable and sectile.
Can rocks be translucent?
Rocks can be transparent, translucent or opaque in nature. These properties depend on the amount of light being absorbed and passed through the rock and also the chemical structure of the rock. You can also compare rocks from Opaque Rocks and Transparent Rocks.
What is the most transparent mineral?
| Quartz | |
|---|---|
| Mohs scale hardness | 7 – lower in impure varieties (defining mineral) |
| Luster | Vitreous – waxy to dull when massive |
| Streak | White |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent to nearly opaque |
What is the softest mineral?
Talc
Talc is the softest and diamond is the hardest. Each mineral can scratch only those below it on the scale.
What is the least brittle mineral?
An example is Quartz. (Minerals that are not brittle may be referred to as Nonbrittle minerals.)
How many carbon atoms are in a tetratetracontane chain?
Tetratetracontane is a long-chain alkane consisting of an unbranched chain of 44 carbon atoms. It has a role as a human metabolite. InChI=1S/C44H90/c1-3-5-7-9-11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-29-31-33-35-37-39-41-43-44-42-40-38-36-34-32-30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2/h3-44H2,1-2H3 Copyright © 1991-2018 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
How are the physical properties of minerals determined?
Most minerals can be characterized and classified by their unique physical properties: hardness, luster, color, streak, specific gravity, cleavage, fracture, and tenacity.
How are trace minerals affected by the light?
Trace minerals have little influence on the reflection of the small powdery particles of the streak. The streak of metallic minerals tends to appear dark because the small particles of the streak absorb the light hitting them. Non-metallic particles tend to reflect most of the light so they appear lighter in color or almost white.
How are trace minerals different from Solid Minerals?
Streak is the color of the mineral in powdered form. Streak shows the true color of the mineral. In large solid form, trace minerals can change the color appearance of a mineral by reflecting the light in a certain way. Trace minerals have little influence on the reflection of the small powdery particles of the streak.
