1. How is luster used for mineral identification?
A.It’s the color of the mineral.
B.It’s how hard the mineral is.
C.It’s how light reflects off the mineral.
D.It’s how a mineral breaks.
The following is the correct match:
1. Luster refers to how the reflection of the light takes place from a mineral.
2. Cleavage signifies a manner in which the dissociation of a mineral occurs at the time of stress.
3. Streak helps in the identification of a true and natural color of a mineral.
4. Color is the least reliable characteristic of determination.
5. Hardness is determined with the application of the Mohs scale.
The correct answer is C. "Luster" refers to the way light reflects off the surface of a mineral. It can be used as a helpful indicator for mineral identification because different minerals have different types of luster. To determine the luster of a mineral, you can follow these steps:
1. Find a clean, well-lit area to examine the mineral.
2. Observe the overall appearance of the mineral's surface.
3. Determine if the mineral is shiny or dull.
4. Further classify the luster by considering specific characteristics such as metallic, vitreous (glass-like), resinous (resin-like), pearly, or silky.
5. Compare the observed luster with known descriptions or a mineral identification chart to help identify the mineral.
Remember that luster is not determined by the color of the mineral, its hardness, or how it breaks, which rules out options A, B, and D in this case.