How can you distinguish between two members of the mica family?

Answer 1

To distinguish between two members of the mica family, you can examine their physical properties such as color, luster, and cleavage. For example, muscovite is typically colorless to light brown and has a pearly luster, while biotite is darker, often black or brown, with a glassy luster. Additionally, you can assess their cleavage, as both exhibit perfect basal cleavage but may differ in the angle of cleavage planes. Finally, checking their hardness on the Mohs scale can also help differentiate them, with muscovite being softer than biotite.