EXPERIMENT 10

[minerals.lab]

OBJECTIVES:

1. To find your way around the Museum of Natural History.

2. To learn the difference between minerals, ores and gems.

3. To learn the chemical formulas of some important ores.

DISCUSSION:

Minerals are those substances found in or on the earth. They are usually rocky, but liquids (oil) and gases can also be considered minerals. Ores are minerals that can be mined for a profit to obtain some specific element. Gems are minerals that are especially beautiful and are used in making rings and other types of jewelry.

The National Museum of Natural History (on the Mall at 10th St and Constitution Avenue, NW) has one of the world's best collections of minerals. Only a small part of it is displayed. Visit this museum. Go though the Gem and Mineral Rooms and answer the questions below. We will review the answers later in the lab. The exhibit case in which the answer can be found is given in brackets [ ].

Questions chosen from the list below will be given to you as a test. You will be asked questions (not on this paper) to prove that YOU visited the Museum and did not just copy the answers from someone else, so when you visit this museum, look around. The Museum Store and the Sea Life exhibit should be visited.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE:

1. [Cave of Swords] Of what mineral are the swords made?

2. [What is a Mineral] What IS a mineral?

3. ["] Name all of the elements found in the mineral TOURMALINE.

4. ["] What is the chemical formula of the swords in Question 1?

5. [Crystals] What are crystals?

6. [Physical Properties] Which is more dense, HALITE or GALENA?

7. ["] Name 2 minerals that a copper coin CAN scratch.

8. ["] What is the color of PYRITE?

9. [Native Elements] Name 8 elements found in their native state.

10. [Sulfides] What is a sulfide?

11. ["] What is the chemical formula of PYRITE?

12. [Oxides] What is an oxide?

13. ["] What is the chemical name for CASSITERITE?

14. [Mineral fluorescence] What is the color of FLUORITE:

a. under normal light? b. under ultraviolet light?

15. [Sulfides] What is the most common color of sulfides?

16. [Halides] What is a halide?

17. ["] What is the chemical formula for HALITE?

18. ["] What is the chemical name for FLUORITE?

19. [Carbonates] What is a carbonate mineral?

20. ["] What is the chemical name and formula of CALCITE?

21. ["] What is the chemical formula for SMITHSONITE?

22. [Oxysalts] What is the chemical formula for BARITE?

23. [Silicates] What is the basic structural unit common to all silicate minerals?

24. ["] What are the chemical elements found in QUARTZ?

25. [Gems] What colors does SAPPHIRE have? RUBY?