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MINERALS
Lesson 1 - Page 7

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Specific gravity or the density of a mineral relative to water, is helpful in the case of some minerals like gold or galena, that have a high specific gravity. The attraction of a mineral to a magnet (magnetism) is helpful especially for the mineral, magnitite which is naturally magnetic.

Some minerals that belong to the carbonate mineral family fizz when a drop of dilute HCl (acid) is put on it. Certain minerals like halite (salty) and sulfur (bitter) have characteristic tastes.


Magnitite 

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