Which property is most useful in mineral identification?hardness colorsizetexture
Question
Which property is most useful in mineral identification?hardness colorsizetexture
Solution
The most useful property in mineral identification is hardness. This is because the hardness of a mineral is a specific and consistent property that can be tested easily. It is determined by the resistance which a smooth surface offers to abrasion. The degree of hardness is determined by observing the comparative ease or difficulty which which one mineral is scratched by another.
Color can be misleading as a single mineral can occur in many different colors. Size is not a reliable identification method as the size of mineral specimens can vary. Texture can provide some clues, but it is not as reliable as hardness.
So, hardness is the most useful property in mineral identification.
Similar Questions
Color is not a good indicator to identify a mineral becauseSome minerals can come in many colorsColor is the first observation you make when identifying a mineral
What is not a good identifier for identifying a mineral?colorstreakcleavage and fractureluster
The physical properties of minerals result from theirtexture and color of streak internal arrangement of atomsdensity and hardnesssize of the mineraldensity and color type of cleavage and hardness
What is the scale that measures the hardness of a mineral or crystal?
If the mineral you are trying to identify can scratch glass, this means...It is harder than glassIt is softer than glass
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