What is streak?The color of the mineral How hard the mineral is How the mineral reflects light The powdered form of the mineral
Question
What is streak?
- The color of the mineral
- How hard the mineral is
- How the mineral reflects light
- The powdered form of the mineral
Solution
To understand the concept of "streak," it’s essential to delve into mineral identification and properties.
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Definition: Streak refers to the color of a mineral in its powdered form. This is determined by rubbing the mineral against an unglazed porcelain plate, which creates a fine powder that often reveals a consistent color that might differ from the mineral's appearance when whole.
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Importance in Mineralogy: Streak is a significant property in mineral identification because it can provide useful diagnostic information that is more reliably consistent than the color of the mineral in its natural form. This is particularly true for minerals that may appear to have different colors based on impurities or variations in structure.
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Relation to Other Properties: While the streak is distinct from other properties such as hardness (resistance to scratching) and luster (how the mineral reflects light), it is a crucial aspect of determining the mineral's identity.
In summary, streak specifically refers to the powdered form of the mineral and is an important characteristic used in the field of mineralogy for accurate identification.
Similar Questions
Anton found the following mineral and wanted to classify it. Describe this mineral's properties for: Lustre, colour, streak, fracture and hardness. (5 marks)
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