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The property of a mineral that is determined by scratching is its hardness. A mineral can be identified by its hardness; for example Talc, which is 1 on Mohs scale of hardness is very soft and can be scratched by a fingernail, as can most common forms of gypsum. Apatite, which is 5 on mohs scale of hardness can be scratched by a steel knife or window glass, whereas Quartz (7) cannot. Diamond is the hardest in the scale at 10, it is almost 4 times as hard as Corundum (9 on mohs scale). Some other ways of determining a type of mineral are: Cleavage/Fracture Chemical Formula Luster Density Streak Specific Gravity Interference colors, twinning, pleochroism & extinction angles can be viewed under an optical microscope with plane and cross polarized light

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Related Questions

Which mineral property can be determined simply by observation?

Color is a mineral property that can be determined simply by observation.


What does the property of mineral hardness measure?

Mineral hardness measures the resistance of a mineral to scratching or abrasion. It is determined by the ability of a mineral to scratch another mineral or be scratched by it, as defined by the Mohs scale of hardness.


What property of a mineral is determined by its chemical composition?

The color of a mineral sample is determined by its chemical composition


Mineral property that cannot be determined by inspection is?

crystal shape


How is the hardness range for a mineral determined?

The hardness range for a mineral is determined using the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, which ranks minerals from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest) based on their ability to scratch or be scratched by other minerals.


What property are you testing if you scratch a mineral with a penny a nail and your fingernail?

When you scratch a mineral with a penny, nail, and your fingernail, you are testing the mineral's hardness. The ability to scratch or be scratched by certain materials helps determine the mineral's hardness on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.


What type of mineral property is tested by the scratch test?

The scratch test measures a mineral's hardness, which is its resistance to being scratched. This property is identified by comparing the hardness of a mineral to the hardness of known minerals on the Mohs scale.


What is the property of a mineral can be determined based on the way light reflects off its surface?

The property of a mineral that can be determined based on the way light reflects off its surface is called luster. Luster is a qualitative measure of how light is reflected from the surface of a mineral, and can help classify minerals into categories such as metallic, non-metallic, vitreous, or dull.


A minerals hardness with respect to other minerals can be determined by?

scratching the mineral acrros a glass plate


What property of a mineral being able to scratch another substance is known as color hardness crystal shape luster?

The property is hardness.


What property are geologists focusing on when they do scratch tests?

Geologists focus on the hardness property of minerals when they perform scratch tests. This test helps determine the resistance of a mineral to being scratched by another material, which can be indicative of its mineral type.


What kind of mineral will scratch a mineral?

A harder mineral will scratch a softer one.