Mineral Design-a-Lab

Directions: Your team of two will be given a mineral. You have to determine whether your mineral is calcite or quartz. Today you will design your experiment and then tomorrow you will perform your experiment.

  1. The first step to designing an experiment is to write a question. What is the question (purpose) of your experiment?

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  1. The next step is to gather information. Sometimes this requires research in a library and sometimes it means you observe. I already gathered the necessary information for you; it’s in Table 1.

Table 1: Mineral Properties
Property / Calcite / Quartz
Color / colorless, white, pink, red, green, blue / colorless, white, pink, purple, blue, yellow
Transparency / translucent / transparent
Luster / dull / glassy
Hardness (Mohs scale) / 3 / 7
Size / any size / any size
Streak color / white / white
Reaction with acid / small bubbles, fizzing / no reaction
Light refraction / sometimes shows two images / always shows single image
  1. Based on the information in Table 1, write a hypothesis in the correct format that guesses whether the mineral you have is calcite or quartz.

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  1. Using Table 1, choose five properties you want to test or observe. Remember to select the five properties that are the most useful in identifying the mineral. Write them below.
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  1. On a separate sheet of paper, write your step-by-step procedures explaining your experiment. On the next page is the procedure for each property test. Use this information to write your step-by-step procedures.

This is your homework if you don’t finish it today in class. Remember that your procedures must include all the safety precautions we discussed in class. Also keep in mind that step-by-step procedures are not written in complete sentences. On the next page you’ll find Table 3, which will help you write your step-by-step procedures. You should have about 40 procedures. Remember to be DETAILED!!!!

  1. It’s now the next day. You are going to follow your step-by-step procedures and perform your experiment. As you follow your procedures, make notes about steps you left out or steps you wrote incorrectly. I am going to grade your editing! Record your results in Table 2.

Table 2: Results
Property Test / Result

NOTE: Don’t forget your measurements!!!!!!

  1. The next step of the scientific method is to analyze your data. Write 3-4 sentences explaining which mineral you have and why you believe it’s that mineral and not the other by discussing your test results.

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  1. The next step of the scientific method is to write your conclusion. Write 2-3 sentences about how you would perform the experiment differently next timeand what other experiments you could do.

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Table 3: Conducting Tests
Property / Test
Color / Using a magnifying glass, observe the color of the mineral and record it in Table 2.
Transparency / Place the mineral on a printed page and try to read the letters through the mineral. Record your results in Table 2.
It is opaque if you cannot see through it. Record your results in Table 2.
It is translucent if you can see through it but the letters are blurry.
It is transparent if you can see through it clearly.
Luster / Try to reflect light off your sample. Record your results in Table 2.
It is brilliant if it reflects lots of light and is very shiny. (like a diamond)
It is glassy if it reflects some light and is somewhat shiny. (like a piece of glass)
It is dull if it does not reflect any light and is not shiny. (like an average yellow pencil)
Hardness (Mohs Scale) / Try to scratch copper and glass with the mineral. Use your results to decide the hardness of the mineral. Your three options are listed below. Record your results in Table 2.
less than 3 (hardness of copper)
between 3 and 5.5
more than 5.5 (hardness of glass)
NOTE: You may want to use the Mohs Hardness Scale on page B-17 in the Issues book.
Streak Color / Use the mineral to draw a line on a white ceramic streak plate and observe the color of the streak. Record the color in Table 2.
Reaction with acid / Place the mineral in Cup A of a SEPUP tray and add 5 drops of hydrochloric acid (HCl) to the surface of the mineral. Observe if small bubbles form or if there is fizzing. After completing the test, use the dropper to rinse the mineral with water and then pat dry the mineral. Record your results in Table 2.
Light refraction / Place the mineral on a printed page and look at a word through the mineral. Record whether you see one or two images of the word. Record your results in Table 2.