MODULE 3

Identification of Rocks and Minerals

Overview
In this module, you will learn to identify rocks and minerals, the parent material of soil.
You will be describing important characteristics useful in identification of rocks and minerals
which are hardness, cleavage, fracture, color, streak, luster, reaction to acid and specific
gravity.

Learning Objectives
After completing this module, you must be able to identify some rocks and minerals.

Take Home Activity. Identify Rocks and Minerals

Precaution: Read materials and all procedures before performing the activity. Observe safety.

Materials
 Rock/mineral specimens (to identify)
 Fingernail
 Copper coin or copper wire or copper sheet
 Iron nail
 Glass (any)
 Sandpaper (may be alternative to unglazed porcelain)
 Sharpening stone/ carborundum (silicon carbide)
 Unglazed porcelain/ rough tile
 Natural/Artificial light
 Hydrochloric acid/muriatic acid, or Acetic acid/vinegar
 Dropper
 Any available weighing apparatus
 Any available tool for measuring volumes
Procedures

Hardness Test
"Hardness" is the resistance of a material to being scratched. The test is conducted by
placing a sharp point of one specimen (specimen A) on an unmarked surface of another
specimen (specimen B, this may also be an object with known hardness) and attempting to
produce a scratch. Here are the four situations that you might observe when comparing the
hardness of two specimens:
1. If Specimen A can scratch Specimen B, then Specimen A is harder than Specimen B.
2. If Specimen A does not scratch Specimen B, then Specimen B is harder than Specimen A.
3. If the two specimens are equal in hardness then they will be relatively ineffective at
scratching one another. Small scratches might be produced, or it might be difficult to determine
if a scratch was produced.
4. If Specimen A can be scratched by Specimen B but it cannot be scratched by Specimen C,
then the hardness of Specimen A is between the hardness of Specimen B and Specimen C.
 Figure 1. Scratch Testa Figure 2. Mohs Hardness of Minerals and Common Objectsb

To conduct the test, place the unknown specimen on a table top and firmly hold it in place

with one hand. Then place a point of the reference specimen against a flat, unmarked surface

of the unknown specimen. Press the reference specimen firmly against the unknown, and
deliberately drag it across the flat surface while pressing firmly. Determine the hardness scale

following the next steps.

Step 1. a. Specimen can be scratched by your fingernail easily or slightly by a pencil point.

Hardness 1

b. Specimen can be scratched by your fingernail slightly and can not scratch a pencil

point. Hardness 2

c. Your fingernail can not scratch specimen. Go to step 2

Step 2. a. Specimen can be scratched by a copper material. Hardness 3

b. Copper material can not scratch specimen. Go to step 3.

Step 3. a. Specimen can be scratched by an iron nail slightly or by glass easily. Hardness 4

b. Glass scratches specimen slightly. Specimen barely scratches iron nail .

Hardness 5

c. Glass can not scratch specimen. Go to step 4

Step 4. a. Specimen scratches glass with difficulty. Hardness 6

b. Specimen scratches glass easily. Sandpaper Hardness 7

c. Specimen scratches sandpaper with difficulty and scratched easily by a

sharpening stone. Hardness 8

d. Specimen scratches sandpaper easily. Sharpening stone has the equal hardness

with specimen. Hardness 9

e. Specimen scratches a sharpening stone easily. Hardness 10.

Cleavage and Fracture

 “Cleavage” is the property that enables a mineral to break along certain well defined places

leaving a smooth surface while “fracture” is a break that does not leave well-defined surface.

Describe the break in your specimen. Specify the type of cleavage or fracture observed.

Figure 3. Types of Cleavagec

Types of Fracture

Even - fracture surface is almost flat

Uneven - fracture surface is irregular or rough

Conchoidal - curved even fracture

Hackly - fracture surface have pointed edges

Fibrous - splintery or look like fibers

Color

Describe dominant color of specimen and indicate if transparent, translucent or opaque.

Streak Test

“Streak” is the color of the mineral when powdered. Obtain the streak of the specimen by

dragging the specimen across a rough surface of a porcelain/tile or sandpaper while pressing

firmly. Take note of the color of streak and indicate if light, bright or dark. If the specimen can

not be powdered, indicate none or colorless.

Luster Test

“Luster” refers to the way the ordinary light is reflected from the surface of the mineral.

Place the specimen under sunlight or flashlight and take note of how it behaves under light.

Types of Luster

1. Metallic luster - shines like gold or silver, commonly opaque

 2. Sub-metallic luster - resembles metallic but less reflective or dull

3. Non-metallic luster - transparent to opaque

-Vitreous/glassy -resinous/plastic -pearly

-waxy/oily/greasy -fibrous/silky -dull/earthy

-adamantine/brilliant

Reaction to Acid Test

Place your specimen in a clean flat surface. Fill a dropper with acid (hydrochloric/ acetic).

Slowly drop the acid little by little to the specimen and then stop. Observe if it will produce

bubbles by looking at the reaction or by hearing (move your ears closer to specimen). If there
is effervescence (forming bubbles like in carbonated drinks), indicate reactive to acid. Take note

also if effervescence is fast or slow. If there’s no effervescence, indicate non-reactive to acid.

Specific Gravity Test

Weigh the specimen using any weighing apparatus available. Obtain the specimen’s

volume by displacement method. This can be done by submerging the specimen in a known

volume of water and measuring the change in water level. Then, compute for the density and

specific gravity of the specimen.

Density (g/cm3)= mass (g) Specific Gravity (unitless)= density of object (g/cm3)
volume (cm3) density of water (g/cm3)

Where: density of water = 1g/cm3

1cm3 = 1mL

Assessment

Worksheet 3.1. Identify minerals

Instructions: Given the following properties, identify the mineral. (Mineral identification
reference material is attached)

Property Specimen 1 Specimen 2 Specimen 3

Color Usually white but Clear, white, gray, Black to steel-gray to
also colorless, gray, purple, yellow, silver; red to reddish
red, green, blue, brown, black, pink, brown to black
yellow, brown, green, red
orange
Cleavage Rhombohedral, 3 None None
directions
Fracture None Conchoidal Uneven
Luster Vitreous Vitreous Metalic, submetalic,
earthy
Streak White White Red to reddish brown
Hardness 3 7 5-6
Reaction to acid Reactive, fast Non-Reactive Non-Reactive
Specific gravity 2.7 2.6-2.7 4.9 - 5.3
Mineral name

Worksheet 3.2. Identify rocks

Instructions: Collect 3 different rocks you would like to identify. Determine the properties of
these rocks by observation and performing tests. Specific gravity test is optional. (Rock
identification reference materials is attached)

Property Specimen 1 Specimen 2 Specimen 3

Color
Cleavage
Fracture
Luster
Streak
Hardness
Reaction to acid
Specific gravity
Rock Name
Rock Group

Other physical
properties
-foliated/non-
foliated
-porous/non-porous
-multicolored
References

Dayap, E.F., Fagyan, A.W., Laurean, C.P., Pandosen, M.D., and Soyon, G.B. Soil
Science 11/101 Laboratory Manual 2018 Revision. College of Agriculture,
Benguet State University.
King, Hobart M. n.d. Minerals. [Link]
[Link]
a

b
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
c

lRort0kjeBC-TAOZzWTG6jgHUVrXDXwXn26OuobWhO0rIP6jXLggwQ84hZcBKmc
QfHc85RXTM9AD2iy0IDYAr2C31D9vySiRIaFU=w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu
fiigure 35 — Rock
Rocks with Mineral
Source: US Department of Transportation-Federal Highway Administration. November 1991.
Rock and Mineral Identification for Engineers. Pp. 20-21, 39-40