Sheryl A. DeCaprio
Objective:
Students can use resource material to obtain information, study data, and draw conclusions based on the data.
It has been found that the tetrahedron is a more solid, stronger system than the cubic system. Listed below are 14 minerals found in Connecticut. Each mineral has either a tetrahedral, hexagonal, or cubic system of crystal growth.
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1) Identify which minerals are cubic, tetrahedral and hexagonal.
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2) Find the hardness of each mineral. Based on a scale of 1 to 10, hardness indicates how well the mineral resists scratching.
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3) Is there any relationship between the crystal structure and the hardness of the minerals?
List of Minerals:
Bornite, Copper, Fluorite, Apatite, Beryl, Galena, Bismuth, Calcite, Garnet, Magnetite, Quartz, Cassiterite, Pyrite, Tourmaline
Bring in a sample of quartz or any other mineral that exhibits a crystal formation. Can you make a guess as to the classification of the crystal system?
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Cubic
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hardness
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Tetrahedral
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hardness
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hexagonal
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hardness
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crystals
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crystals
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crystals
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