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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Mineral Identification
Activities
For this activity, we are going to try to identify ten different minerals from their properties. There is an attached listing of the major properties of the most commonly found minerals. Use it and any other resources you might have to identify the ten minerals, and list your findings on the sheet below. In order to help you by giving you a little practice with mineral identification, we suggest the following virtual identifier: http://facweb.bhc.edu/academics/science/harwoodr/Geol101/Labs/Minerals/ Your instructor will provide you with up to 10 different mineral samples for identification. To test for hardness, you will also be provided with a copper …
Rock Identification
Activities
In our everyday lives, we often find confusion between the terms rock and mineral. People will sometimes use the terms interchangeably since they are both found in the ground. However, they are distinctly different things. Minerals are solids with a definite chemical composition and crystalline structure. While rocks can be made of minerals, and therefore have some of these same properties, they can also be made of materials such as volcanic glass that do not contain a single crystal. The problem is that we do not have a really clear definition of a rock. Different sources will define the term …