Question
A student holds a mineral up to the light. She is most likely observing which property?(1 point)
Responses
hardness
hardness
luster
luster
cleavage
cleavage
tenacity
luster
To determine which property the student is observing when holding a mineral up to the light, we can examine the provided answer choices: hardness, luster, cleavage, and tenacity.
1. Hardness: Hardness refers to a mineral's resistance to scratching. This property can be determined by conducting a scratch test. Since the question mentions observing the mineral under light, it is unlikely that the student is determining hardness in this context.
2. Luster: Luster refers to how a mineral's surface reflects light. It can be described as metallic, vitreous, pearly, greasy, etc. Evaluating luster is done by observing how light interacts with a mineral's surface. Therefore, this property is the most likely answer.
3. Cleavage: Cleavage refers to how a mineral breaks and forms flat, smooth surfaces. It is determined by examining the way a mineral fractures. While observing cleavage can be done under light, it is not the most typical scenario for evaluating this property.
4. Tenacity: Tenacity refers to a mineral's resistance to breaking, bending, or being deformed. Tenacity can be determined by applying pressure or force to a mineral. Observing tenacity under light is not the most common method to evaluate this property.
Based on the given answer choices and the context provided, the most appropriate property that the student is likely observing by holding a mineral up to the light is luster.