ROCKS ARE MADE OF MINERALS .

BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM.

YOU CAN USE THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES.

• Hardness
• Color
• Luster
• Magnetism
• Cleavage
• Streak

Hardness...
Is determined by trying to scratch a mineral with other things.

Color...
Some minerals such as black biotite mica, have colors that help identify them. But color is not always reliable.

Luster...
Describes the way light reflects off a mineral's surface. A mineral's luster can be metallic or nonmetallic.

Magnetism
Magnetism is another property you can use to classify a mineral. If something is magnetic, it is attracted to a magnet.

Cleavage
Regular, flat surfaces on broken minerals are called cleavage. Some minerals only fracture. That means that when they break, the surfaces are uneven, rounded, or splintered.

Streak
When you rub a mineral on a tile, it can leave some mineral powder. This is the streak.

THIS IS HOW YOU IDENTIFY MINERALS.