Geology-Mineral Identification Quiz

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Galena

-chem. grp.: Sulfides, lead sulfide

-Color: Silver Gray

-Luster: Metallic

-Cleavage/Fracture: 3 Planes at 90 "Cubic" Cleavage

-Other: Cubic crystals

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39.

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Magnetite

-chem. grp.: Oxides, iron oxide

-Color: Gray

-Streak: Gray

-Other: Magnetic properties

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14.

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Pyrite

-chem. grp.: Sulfides, iron sulfide

-Color: Silvery Gold (Pale color)

-Luster: Metallic

-Cleavage/Fracture: No cleavage

-Other: Cubic Crystals, Crystals are opaque

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11.

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Chalcopyrite

-chem. grp.: Sulfides, copper-iron sulfide

-Color: Brassy Yellow,Brassy

-Luster: Metallic

-Cleavage/Fracture: No cleavage

-Other: Softer than Pyrite

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28.

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Limonite

-chem. grp.: Oxides, hydrated iron oxide and/or hydrated iron oxide hydroxide

-Color: Rusty Yellow-Brown

-Luster: Earthy to Metallic

-Cleavage/Fracture: Earthy Fracture

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16.

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Graphite

-chem. grp.: Native element (carbon?), carbon

-Color: Silver Gray to Black

-Streak: Gray

-Cleavage/Fracture: Cleavage excellent in 1 direction

-Luster: Sub-Metallic

-Other: Greasy feel

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13.

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Plagioclase Feldspar

-chem. grp.: Silicates, calcium-sodium aluminum silicate

-Color: Colorless, white, gray or black; May be iridescent

-Cleavage: Good in two directions at nearly 90; Striations on Cleavage, No striped color

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6.

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Potassium Feldspar

-chem. grp.: Silicates, potassium aluminum silicate

-Hardness: 6

-Color: Orange, brown, white (light color)

-Cleavage/Fracture: Cleavage excellent in two directions at 90, Striped colors on cleavage

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7.

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Crystal Quartz

-chem. grp.: Silicates, silicon dioxide

-Hardness: 7

-Color: Clear to white

-No cleavage

-Other: Trigonal (Hexagonal) Crystal Prisms

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29.

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Olivine

-chem. grp.: Silicates, ferromagnesian silicate

-Color: Olive Green

-Cleavage/Fracture: Poor Cleavage

-Other: Granular texture

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27.

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Muscovite

-chem. grp.: Silicate (Mica group), potassium hydrous aluminum silicate

-Color: Colorless

-Cleavage/Fracture: 1 Perfect Basal Cleavage, Transparent Cleavage

-Other: Elastic Sheets

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3.

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Calcite

-chem. grp.: Carbonates, calcium carbonate

-Hardness: 3

-Color: Colorless,

-Cleavage/Fracture: Rhombohedral cleavage

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10.

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Halite

-chem. grp.: Halides, sodium chloride

-Color: Colorless, white

-Cleavage/Fracture: 3 Perfect Planes at 90 "Cubic" Cleavage

-Other: Cubic crystals

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2.

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Gypsum

-chem. grp.: Sulfates, hydrated calcium sulfate

-Hardness: 2

-Color: Clear to white

-Streak: White

-Luster: Pearly

-Cleavage/Fracture: 1 Perfect Cleavage but not at 90

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1.

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Talc

-chem. grp.: Silicates, hydrous magnesian silicate

-Hardness: 1

-Color: White to Gray

-Luster: Pearly to Earthy

-Cleavage/Fracture: 1 plane of cleavage

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4.

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Fluorite

-chem. grp.: Halides, calcium fluoride

-Hardness: 4

-Color: Colorless, green*, blue, purple

-Cleavage/Fracture: 4 Planes at 110 "Octahedral" Cleavage

-Other: Cubic Crystals

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5.

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Apatite

-chem. grp.: Phosphates, calcium fluorophosphate

-Hardness: 5

-Color: Color pale or dark green

-Other: Hexagonal crystal prisms

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8.

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Topaz

-chem. grp.: Silicates, aluminum silicon oxygen hydrogen fluorine silicate

-Hardness: 8

-Color: Clear, Smoky, variable

-Cleavage/Fracture: 1 perfect cleavage

-Other: Hexagonal crystals

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9.

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Corundum

-chem. grp.: Oxides, aluminum oxide

-Hardness: 9

-Color: Gray, red, blue

-Poor Cleavage

-Other: Hexagonal prisms

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12.

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Biotite Mica

-chem. grp.: Silicates, ferromagnesian potassium hydrous aluminum silicate

-Color: Black

-Cleavage/Fracture: Cleavage excellent

-Other: Elastic Sheets, Opaque to transluent

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Sulfur

-chem. grp.: Native element, sulfur

-Color: Yellow

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17.

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Native Copper

-chem. grp.: Native element, copper

-Color: Copper Red (Brown)

-Luster: Metallic

-Other: Forms odd-shaped masses, nuggets

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Kaolinite

-chem. grp.: Silicates (clay group), aluminum silicate hydroxide

-Color: White

-Luster: Earthy

-Other: Soft

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21.

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Milky Quartz

-chem. grp.: Silicates, silicon dioxide

-Various shades of white, usually milky

-No Cleavage

-Other: Triagonal (hexagonal) Crystal Prisms

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24.

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Augite

-chem. grp.: Silicates, calcium ferromagnesian silicate

-Color: Dark Green

-Cleavage/Fracture: 2 Planes Cleavage at 90

-Other: Dark green color (pyroxene), prismatic crystals, single chain silicate (dark pyroxene)

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32.

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Rose Quartz

-chem. grp.: Silicates, silicon dioxide

-Color: Pink

-No cleavage

-Other: Trigonal (hexagonal) Crystal prisms, Striations on crystal faces

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36.

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Smoky Quartz

-chem. grp.: Silicates, silicon dioxide

-Color: Smoky-gray, brown to black

-No Cleavage

-Other: Trigonal (hexagonal) Crystal prisms

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38.

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Micaceous Hematite

-chem. grp.: Oxides, iron oxide

-Color: Gray to silver gray

-luster: Metallic

-Glitterly Metallic

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Amythyst (Quartz)

-chem. grp.: Silicates, silicon dioxide

-Color: Purple to Clear

-Cleavage/Fracture: Conchoidal fracture

-Other: Striations on crystal face

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44.

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Hornblende

-chem. grp.: Silicates, calcium ferromagnesian aluminum silicate

-Color: Dark Green to Black (dark amphibole)

-Cleavage: 2 planes at 124, 56

-Other: Semi-fibrous crystal texture