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Activities

The Mystery Minerals Test

Materials Needed:

Most of these supplies can be borrowed from a nearby university geology department.

Gather many small mineral samples. A good collection could include some or all of the following: magnetite, quartz, corundum, kaolinite, halite, pyrite, calcite, mica (biotite or muscovite), galena, fluorite, graphite, sulphur

Index cards or small slips of paper (as many as there are minerals)

Something steel for scratching (such as a nail file)

A small magnet

A small quantity (1 tsp) of hydrochloric acid is helpful (if calcite is one of the mineral samples in the collection)

Objectives: To learn the difference between a rock, a mineral, a crystal, and a gem.

To learn how scientists use the properties of minerals to identify them.

To test and identify mineral samples.

 Terminology: (some of these terms are optional for younger children):
cleavage
hardness
density
specific gravity
mineral
lustre 		rock
gemstone
crystal
geologist
mineralogist
Preparation: Bring in common items from around the house that are made with minerals, metals, and other Earth resources. A good group of items might include: pop can (aluminum, from the mineral bauxite); mascara (contains the mineral lithium smectite); anything plastic (made from petroleum); a toy car (in a real car, virtually everything is made from mineral resources unless it has leather seats), paper (even though paper is made from wood fibers, most papers today have mineral additives to make them whiter or give them a certain texture); coffee cup (ceramic, made from clay); ring or earrings (with gemstones); anything made of glass (from quartz [silica] sand); pencil (graphite lead); etc.

Discuss the following questions with the group:

  1. What is the difference between a rock, a mineral, a crystal, and a gemstone? Answer

  2. How do geologists (scientists who study Earth materials and processes) and mineralogists (scientists who study minerals) distinguish one mineral from another? Answer
 Activity:
  1. Set up the minerals on lettered cards (A, B, C, etc.) around the table.

  2. Put the following list of clues on the board (match to your collection of minerals)

  3. Provide tools for testing mineral properties (file for scratching--make sure it's OK to scratch the borrowed samples; magnet; HCI--teacher should hold the bottle)

  4. Students examine and test the mystery mineral samples, matching them to their names according to the clues given on the board.
Clues: Quartz: forms long, six-sided crystals
Sulphur: yellow, smells like rotten eggs
Magnetite: magnetic
Corundum: very hard
Biotite (0r Muscovite): breaks into flat plates
Kaolinite: smells earthy (like soil)
Halite: tastes like salt
Pyrite: looks like shiny metal
Galena: very heavy
Fluorite: purple
Graphite: feels greasy or slippery
Calcite: fizzes when a drop of HCI is placed on it (teacher handles HCI)
 Mystery Mineral Match Up: Draw a line from the letter on each card to the correct name for the mineral on that card.
 
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L		 Quartz
Sulphur
Magnetite
Corundum
Biotite (or Muscovite)
Kaolinite
Halite
Pyrite
Galena
Fluorite
Graphite
Calcite
Source: Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources
   

    Last Modified: 2004-12-10