+ Lesson Summary

  • You can identify a mineral by its appearance and other properties.
  • The color and luster describe the appearance of a mineral, and streak describes the color of the powdered mineral.
  • Each mineral has a characteristic density.
  • Mohs Hardness Scale is used to compare the hardness of minerals.
  • The way a mineral cleaves or fractures depends on the crystal structure of the mineral.
  • Some minerals have special properties that can be used to help identify the mineral.