color, streak and age
I would say taste is the only mineral characteristic that can not be related back to the way the atoms are arranged within a mineral. NOTE: I would not recommend tasting a mineral unless you are 90% sure it is halite(aka table salt), as some mineral contain toxic elements.
Cleavage is a physical characteristic determined by the arrangement of atoms within a mineral. Cleavage describes how a mineral breaks along planes of weakness due to its atomic structure, creating smooth, flat surfaces. The number and orientation of these planes are unique to each mineral.
When a mineral forms a definite shape, it is known as a crystal. Crystals are ordered arrangements of atoms or ions in a repeating pattern that gives them their characteristic shape. Crystal shape is determined by the internal arrangement of atoms within the mineral.
Nonliving, solid material formed in nature with particles arranged in a repeating pattern is a mineral. Atoms of a mineral are arranged in a repeating pattern to form a solid that is called a crystal.
Minerals are made of specific chemical elements in fixed proportions, which gives them their unique composition and properties. These proportions are determined by the mineral's crystal structure and the way the atoms are arranged within it.
Mineral crystals can appear in any of the six crystal systems (cubic, tetragonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic, hexagonal) depending on their internal atomic arrangement. The structure and symmetry of a mineral crystal is determined by factors such as its chemical composition and how the atoms are arranged within the crystal lattice.
Color is often considered the most unreliable characteristic of a mineral because it can vary widely even within the same mineral species. Factors such as impurities, alteration, and external conditions can all influence the color of a mineral, leading to inconsistencies in color as a reliable identification feature.
The mineral will break along its crystal cleavage planes, resulting in smooth surfaces. This is because the atoms within the mineral are arranged in such a way that they break cleanly along specific planes of weakness. This property is known as cleavage, and minerals that exhibit this characteristic include mica and calcite.
The color of the light emitted by an element heated within a flame is a physical characteristic, but this particular physical characteristic is itself determined by a chemical characteristic: the distribution of electron energy levels within the element.
Geologists primarily use the chemical composition of minerals to separate them into different classes. This includes elements present, their proportions, and how they are arranged within the mineral structure. Other characteristics such as crystal structure, hardness, and cleavage can also be used in conjunction with chemical composition for mineral classification.
The ability of a mineral to hold together is known as its hardness. It is a measure of a mineral's resistance to scratching or abrasion. Hardness is determined by the strength of the atomic bonds within the mineral's crystal structure.
The elements that compose it and the arrangement of its atoms