A streak plate may be used to identify which mineral property?
color color luster luster cleavage cleavage tenacity
color
A streak plate is used to identify the color of a mineral.
A streak plate is used to identify the streak color of a mineral. When you rub a mineral against the streak plate, it leaves a colored mark or powder. This powder or streak color can be different from the color of the mineral itself.
To use a streak plate for identifying the streak color, you can follow these steps:
1. Choose a clean streak plate made of unglazed porcelain or white, uncoated tile.
2. Select a mineral specimen that you want to identify.
3. Hold the streak plate firmly against a hard surface.
4. Take the mineral specimen and hold it at a slight angle against the streak plate.
5. Rub the mineral across the surface of the streak plate with some pressure, creating a powder.
6. Observe the color of the powder left behind on the streak plate.
7. Compare the streak color to known references or mineral identification charts to determine the mineral's identity.
The streak color is often a more reliable characteristic for mineral identification compared to the color of the mineral itself, as the latter can be influenced by impurities or variations in the mineral's composition.