This document discusses the properties of minerals. It begins by defining a mineral as a naturally occurring solid substance that has a specific chemical composition and formula. It then outlines that minerals have physical, optical, and chemical properties. The document focuses on various physical properties of minerals such as hardness, luster, specific gravity, color, fracture, tenacity, streak, and cleavage. It provides details on how hardness and color are determined for minerals and explanations of streak and luster. The document also briefly mentions cleavage, fracture, specific gravity, and tenacity. It concludes by noting that minerals can be examined using light to study optical properties like refraction, dispersion, and birefringence.

1. MINERALS
 A mineral is a naturally occurring substance that is
solid and stable at room temperature, representable by
a chemical formula, It is different from a rock, and
does not have a specific chemical composition.

2. DIFFERENT TYPES OF MINERALS

3. PROPERTIES OF MINERAL
Physical
properties
Optical
properties
Chemical
properties

4. PICTURE OF MINERALS
Physical use
Optical use
Chemical use

5. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF
MINERALS
Hardness
Luster
Specific
gravity
Colour
Fracture
Tenacity
Streak
Cleavage

6. HARDNESS AND COLOUR
 Hardness-The hardness of a mineral defines how
much it can resist scratching. This physical property is
controlled by the chemical composition and
crystalline structure of a mineral.
 Colour-Colour is the most obvious property of a
mineral, but it is often non-diagnostic.It is caused
by electromagnetic radiation interacting with
electrons.

7. STREAK AND LUSTER
 Streak-When minerals are scratched, the powder that
is made by the scratch is called the streak.
 Luster-Luster is a description of the way a mineral
surface looks when light reflects off of the surface.

8. CLEAVAGE AND FRACTURE

9. SPECIFIC GRAVITY
 Specific gravity-Specific Gravity is a measure of the
density of a mineral compared to the density of an
equal volume of water.
 Tenacity-The behaviour of a mineral towards the
forces that tend to break,bend,cut,or crush it is
described by the term tenacity.

10. OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS
Light
Total
reflection
Double
refraction
Ordinary
light
Dispersion
Birefringence
Polarised
light
Refractive
index
Isotropic
substance