Introduction Solar, wind, geothermal, coal, and oil are all natural resources. Natural Resources are created or found in, on, or around earth not made by humankind. Natural Resources fall into one of two categorys renewable and nonrenewable. Renewable resources mean that the resource will be replenished and nonrenewable means it cannot be replenished once it is gone. Minerals are nonrenewable resources, except they are key in human life. Not only do humans need to eat minerals to survive most common objects are made from minerals, things like jewelry, cosmetics, construction, and agriculture all use minerals commonly. A lab was conducted to identify an unknown mineral. By observing the physical properties and comparing them to known minerals …show more content…
Minerals are inorganic solid substances that occur naturally in nature. Minerals need to be naturally occurring, solid, inorganic, must have an ordered internal structure, and must have a specific chemical composition to be considered a mineral. Minerals are the foundation of thousands of products. Minerals can be found in things like food, construction supplies, and cosmetics. The type of mineral formed depends on chemical and physical properties of the surrounding area within the crust. There are many ways minerals are formed. For example, when water evaporates minerals and other small particles are left behind, with time the minerals crystalize and form a hard rock. This can occur within the ocean leaving behind things like halite/salt or gypsum. This can also occur in freshwater either by magma heating up the water and causing it to evaporate or through the sun evaporating the water. Another way minerals are formed is through metamorphism and sedimentation. Through intense heat or pressure or chemical change new rocks and minerals are formed. Furthermore, magma also has minerals in it so when magma or lava crystalizes the minerals are left behind. this can come in two forms either through pegmatites or …show more content…
A mineral is tested for color, streak, cleavage, hardness, luster, and density. Color is what color the mineral is in its natural state. Color does not include if the mineral is metallic, that is luster. Luster is how metallic a mineral is. There are three categories within luster, M/ metallic, NM/ nonmetallic, and SM/ submetallic. Another test is the streak test; a scientist will take the mineral and slide it across a streak plate to see if a streak/ color is left behind on the glass or tile. If there is a streak the scientist will then look at the color of the streak and record that color. The hardness of a mineral is similarly tested. A scientist will take objects and rub them against the mineral, depending on what object and how much powder there is the scientist will classify the mineral with a number one being the weakest and ten being the hardest. Cleavage or fracture is another test completed on the mineral. Cleavage is when one or more side is cleanly broken. Cleavage is broken into three categories the first one is if the mineral has one side that is fairly clean broken, the second is when one or two sides are broken and are close to 900, the third is when two or more side are broken and are very close to being or 900. Fracture is when the broken edge of a mineral is jagged and irregular. The final test is the