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what are the characterstics of minerals
1. Luster: Look at how much light is reflected of the mineral surface.

2. Hardness: Using the the relative hardness of a mineral can help to identify the mineral.

3. Color: Although not always trustworthy, color can be a helpful indication of the mineral species.

4. Fracture: Shape in which the mineral fractures.

5. Cleavage: Ability of a mineral to cleave in certain planes, for example a mica like biotech consists of sheets with one cleavage plane.

6. Crystal form: Although perfect crystals are rare, the form of a crystal can be used to identify the mineral.

7. Habit: This is the shape of how a mineral tends to form.

8. Density: Different minerals have different densities. Minerals richer in iron are usually denser for example magnetite.


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