Geology Quiz: Minerals

Front 1

Metallic; hard; dark gray streak; brass yellow color; tarnishes brown; "fools gold"; hard

Back 1

Pyrite

Front 2

Metallic; dark gray streak; hard; dark gray to black; tarnishes gray; strongly magnetic

Back 2

Magnetite

Front 3

Metallic; soft; red to red brown streak; silvery gray; black or brick red; tarnishes red

Back 3

Hematite

Front 4

Metallic; soft; dark gray streak; brass yellow color; tarnishes dark brown or purple

Back 4

Chalcopyrite

Front 5

Metallic; soft; dark gray streak; silvery gray; cubic cleavage good to excellent, very heavy

Back 5

Galena

Front 6

Metallic; soft; yellow-brown streak; yellow brown to dark brown (rusted iron); tarnishes yellow to brown

Back 6

Limonite

Front 7

Metallic; soft; dark gray streak- dark gray to black; greasy feeling; H 1; rubs off on hands

Back 7

Graphite

Front 8

Metallic; soft; yellow-brown streak; yellow brown or dark red; tarnishes brown; may appear nonmetallic or metallic; excellent cleavage; smells like sulfur

Back 8

Sphaelerite

Front 9

Metallic; soft; copper color; tarnishes dark brown or green; malleable

Back 9

Copper

Front 10

Light colored non-metallic; hard; white or gray; opaque; two cleavages at nearly right angles; may have parallel stritations; H 6

Back 10

Plagioclase (feldspar)

Front 11

Light colored non-metallic; hard; pink, white or green; opaque; may have "discontinuous veins" of different colored material. H 6; two cleavages at nearly right angles

Back 11

Orthoclase

Front 12

Light colored non-metallic; hard; colorless, white, gray, or other colors; glassy luster; transparent or translucent; H 7; crystals are hexagonal prisms and pyramids; may be massive; conchoidal fracture

Back 12

Quartz

Front 13

Light colored non-metallic; hard; pale olive green to yellow; conchoidal fracture; transparent or translucent; H 7

Back 13

Olivine

Front 14

Light colored non-metallic; hard; pink to yellow green; may form dodecahedron crystals; H 7

Back 14

Garnet

Front 15

Light colored non-metallic; soft; colorless, white, yellow, green, pink, or brown; three excellent cleavages; breaks into rhombohedrons; reacts strongly (fizzes) in dilute HCl; H 3

Back 15

Calcite

Front 16

Light colored non-metallic; colorless, white, gray, creme, or pink; 3 excellent cleavages; breaks into rhombohedrons; reacts with dilute HCl only if powdered; H 3.5-4

Back 16

Dolomite

Front 17

Light colored non-metallic; soft; colorless, white, or gray; massive or tabular crystals, or blade or needle-shaped; can be scratched with fingernail; H 2

Back 17

Gypsum

Front 18

Light colored non-metallic; soft, colorless, white, yellow, blue, brown, or red; cubic crystals and breaks into cubes; salty taste; H 2.5

Back 18

Halite

Front 19

Light colored non-metallic; soft; colorless, purple, blue, gray, green, yellow; forms cubes with octahedral cleavage, and octahedrons; H 2-2.5

Back 19

Fluorite

Front 20

Light colored non-metallic; soft; Colorless, yellow, brown, or red-brown; splits along one excellent cleavage into thin, flexible transparent sheets; 2-2.5

Back 20

Muscovite (Mica)

Front 21

Light colored non-metallic; soft; opaque white, gray, green, or brown; can be scratched with fingernail; greasy or soapy feel; H1

Back 21

Talc

Front 22

Light colored non-metallic; soft; opaque earth white to very light rown; H 1-2; may feel "dusty"

Back 22

Kaolin (clay, kaolinite)

Front 23

Light colored non-metallic; soft; yellow; smells like rotten eggs; generally easy to crumble; H 1

Back 23

Sulfur

Front 24

Dark colored non-metallic; hard; opaque black; 2 cleavages at about 60 and 120 degree angles; H 5.5

Back 24

Hornblende

Front 25

Dark colored non-metallic; hard; opaque black; 2 cleavages at nearly 90 degree angles; H 5.5

Back 25

Augite

Front 26

Dark colored non-metallic; hard; translucent gray, brown, or purple; glassy luster; transparent or translucent; H 7; crystals are hexagonal prims and pyramids; may be massive; conchoidal fracture

Back 26

Quartz

Front 27

Dark colored non-metallic; hard; transparent to translucent dark red to black to green; may form dodecahedron crystals, H 7

Back 27

Garnet

Front 28

Dark colored non-metallic; hard; transparent or translucent olive green; conchoidal fracutre; H 7

Back 28

Olivine

Front 29

Dark colored non-metallic; soft; translucent to opqaue yellow-brown to brown; may appear submetallic; octahedral cleavage; H 3.5-4; light yellow streak; may smell like sulfur

Back 29

Sphaelerite

Front 30

Dark colored non-metallic; soft; purple, white, or clear cubes or octahedrons with octahedral cleavage; white streak; H 4

Back 30

Fluorite

Front 31

Dark colored non-metallic; soft; black; splits easily along one excellent cleavage; thin, flexible sheets; may occur as hexagonal books; H 2.3-3

Back 31

Biotite (Mica)

Front 32

Dark colored non-metallic; soft; green; splits easily along one excellent cleavage; thin, flexible sheets; may occur as hexagonal books; 2-3

Back 32

Chlorite

Front 33

Dark colored non-metallic; soft; translucent to opaque dark green; easily scratched with fingernail; white streak; feels soapy; H 1

Back 33

Talc

Front 34

Dark colored non-metallic; soft; dull earthy luster; opaque rusty brown or yellow-brown yellow-brown streak; H 1.5-5.5

Back 34

Limonite

Front 35

Dark colored non-metallic; soft, opaque earthy red; red to red-brown streak; H 1.5-6

Back 35

Hematite

Front 36

Dark colored non-metallic; soft; Black; greasy feeling; H1; rubs off on hands

Back 36

Graphite