Rock Cycle - Minerals (4B)
 Lab 

PROBLEM: Can the shape of a mineral in its crystal form help identify that mineral in a rock?

PREDICTION:

EXPERIMENT: You have different mineral crystals at your lab table. Draw the shape of the mineral crystals and then look at the associated rocks on the display table. Try matching the minerals with the rock specimens that contain them.

MINERAL NAME

DRAW SHAPE

ROCK  
what helps to identify

 

QUARTZ

 

   

 

Quartzite (metamorphic)

 

MICA

 

   

 

Schist (metamorphic)

 

HORNBLENDE

 

   

 

Diorite (igneous)

 

CALCITE

 

   

 

Marble (metamorphic) 

 

FELDSPAR (PLAGIOCLASE)

   

 

Granodiorite (igneous)

 

FELDSPAR (ORTHOCLASE)

 

   

 

Granite (igneous)

CONCLUSION: Which mineral shapes helped identify the minerals? Which did not?

 

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