Minerals Lab
A. Specimens 1-25 are all minerals collected by NeedAnA, Inc. On the answer sheet (2
nd
and 3
rd
pages of doc), there are tables with the mineral specimen numbers and properties.
1. Determine the properties of each mineral, and enter the data into the table provided.
2. Using the Mineral Identification Charts provided (pg. 11-13), determine the names of each mineral from the properties that
you’ve observed from the virtual samples. Some minerals on the chart are not featured amongst the provided samples, while
others samples may show up more than once.
B. Tooth enamel is made of the mineral apatite (Ca5(PO4)3(K1Cl1OH). NeedAnA, Inc. has developed a new toothpaste that subtitutes ground garnet rather than traditional calcite. Is it a good or bad idea to use garnet in toothpaste? Compare and contrast the properties of apatite, garnet, and calcite. Hint: What would Mohs say?
C. You want new countertops for your kitchen. You do a lot of cooking with vinegar (pickles and apple cider), which is an acid. Your kitchen designer recommends either granite – which is made of the minerals quartz, orthoclase, and hornblende – or marble, which is made of calcite. Which is the better countertop rock for your kitchen, and why?
