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The streak of a mineral is much more accurate in identifying a mineral than color. The streak of a mineral can distinguish minerals with metallic and non-metallic luster. For example, metallic minerals generally have a dark streak whereas non-metallic luster minerals often have a light colored streak.

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Which physical property would be the most useful in identifying a sample of galena?

The most useful physical property for identifying galena would be its metallic luster and its high density. Galena has a metallic luster and is one of the densest minerals, so these characteristics can be helpful in distinguishing it from other minerals.


What is generally the least useful in identifying minerals?

Color is generally the least useful characteristic in identifying minerals, as many minerals can come in a variety of colors. Other properties, such as hardness, streak, cleavage, and specific gravity, are more reliable indicators for identifying minerals.


What is the definition of mineral streak?

Mineral streak is the color of the powder produced when a mineral is scratched on a porcelain streak plate. It is a useful property for identifying minerals, as different minerals can leave distinctively colored streaks.


What is the least useful characteristic in identifying minerals?

Color is often the least useful characteristic in identifying minerals because many minerals can occur in a variety of colors due to impurities. Instead, properties like hardness, luster, cleavage, and streak are more reliable for identifying minerals.


The most useful physical properties for identifying minerals are?

The most useful physical properties for identifying minerals are color, luster, hardness, cleavage, fracture, streak, and specific gravity. These properties help geologists distinguish between different minerals based on their unique characteristics.

Related Questions

What property is the least useful in identifying minerals?

Color is often the least useful property in identifying minerals because many minerals can occur in a variety of colors due to impurities in their chemical composition. Instead, properties such as hardness, luster, and cleavage are more reliable for mineral identification.


Which physical property would be the most useful in identifying a sample of galena?

The most useful physical property for identifying galena would be its metallic luster and its high density. Galena has a metallic luster and is one of the densest minerals, so these characteristics can be helpful in distinguishing it from other minerals.


What is generally the least useful in identifying minerals?

Color is generally the least useful characteristic in identifying minerals, as many minerals can come in a variety of colors. Other properties, such as hardness, streak, cleavage, and specific gravity, are more reliable indicators for identifying minerals.


What is the definition of mineral streak?

Mineral streak is the color of the powder produced when a mineral is scratched on a porcelain streak plate. It is a useful property for identifying minerals, as different minerals can leave distinctively colored streaks.


What is the least useful characteristic in identifying minerals?

Color is often the least useful characteristic in identifying minerals because many minerals can occur in a variety of colors due to impurities. Instead, properties like hardness, luster, cleavage, and streak are more reliable for identifying minerals.


Which propety is generally the least useful when identifying minerals?

The color of a mineral is the least useful when identifying minerals. A mineral can exist in various colors. This is because presence of certain chemicals will change the color of the mineral. Weathering can also change the color of the mineral. Therefore color is not a good property to identify minerals.


What properties are least useful in identifying a mineral?

Color and streak would be the least useful, because they may be shared by a multitude of other minerals.


The most useful physical properties for identifying minerals are?

The most useful physical properties for identifying minerals are color, luster, hardness, cleavage, fracture, streak, and specific gravity. These properties help geologists distinguish between different minerals based on their unique characteristics.


What property is the least useful for identifying minerals?

Color is the least useful property for identifying minerals because it can vary within the same mineral species, making it less reliable for accurate identification. Other properties like hardness, cleavage, and luster are more consistent and helpful in distinguishing between different minerals.


If a mineral has no streak is it metallic?

When identifying minerals, having no streak is a property of hardness. A streak plate has a hardness of ~7(Moh's Scale). Thus any mineral having a hardness greater than 7 will have no streak.Metallic is the description of luster. Or the general appearance of a mineral surface in reflected light.If you were refering to the mineral having metal elements in it, streak is actually very useful for identifying them. Many minerals that are composed of non-metals have a white streak which can appear to be no streak, however there are also many minerals with no streak which are composed of non-metallic minerals (Diamond).


Which of the following characteristics is least useful in identifying a mineral?

habit, color, streak, luster, density, hardness, cleavage, fracture, tenacity


What property is generally least useful in identifying minerals?

Density is the least useful property for identification because different specimens of the same type of mineral can vary in size. -Color is the least useful property for identification because it is the most obvious property.