| A | B |
|---|
| silicates | contain silicon (Si) AND oxygen (O) (ex:SiO2) |
| carbonates | carbonate ion (CO3) combines with metal ions (ex:CaCO3) |
| oxides | oxygen plus any element EXCEPT silicon (ex: FeO2) |
| sulfides | a metallic element combined with sulfur (ex:FeS2) |
| native elements | solid elements uncombined with any other element (ex:gold-AU) |
| color | least reliable property for identifying minerals; easy to see |
| luster | how a mineral shines in reflected light |
| streak | color of powdered form of mineral; not always same color as mineral |
| cleavage | when minerals naturally split or break along flat surfaces |
| fracture | when mineral breaks along non-cleavage surfaces resulting in uneven edges |
| hardness | a mineral's resistance to being scratched |
