Name: Date:
Student Exploration: GIZMO Mineral Identification
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions
and prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: crystal, density, hardness, homogeneous, luster, mass, mineral, streak, volume
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. Suppose you find a yellow piece of metal in a stream. How could you tell if it is real
gold? You could try to rub it across something and see if the color looks gold.
2. In the city a street peddler offers to sell you a diamond ring for thirty bucks. How could you test if the rock
in the ring is a real diamond?
Diamonds are very hard and will scratch any natural substance.
Gizmo Warm-up: Determining density
A mineral is a naturally formed crystal. You can identify a mineral
by its properties. In the Mineral Identification Gizmo, under
Choose property to test, select Density.
1. Mass is the amount of substance in an object. Drag
the mineral sample onto the balance.
What is the mass of the mineral? (Units are grams, g.) 36.4 g
2. Volume is the amount of space an object takes up. The volume is measured by how much the
water rises in a graduated cylinder. Drag the mineral into the cylinder.
What is the volume of the mineral? (Units are milliliters, or mL.) 14 mL
3. Density is a measure of how “light” or “heavy” an object is for its size. To find the density of an
object, divide the mass by the volume. (Calculators are recommended.)
What is the density of the mineral? (Units are grams per milliliter, g/mL.) 2.6 9/mL
, Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A: ● Under Property, select Appearance.
Mineral properties ● Check that Sample A is on the screen. (If not, press
Previous until sample A is there.)
Question: What properties allow us to identify minerals?
1. Observe: Minerals are made of atoms in a repeating pattern and often form crystals. The shapes of
crystals can help identify the mineral. Luster is the way the mineral’s surface reflects light. There are
many ways to describe luster, four examples are shown. Color can sometimes be a useful way to identify
a mineral, but it is not always reliable.
A. Describe the crystal shape of Sample A: Irregular
B. Describe its color and luster: Metallic and Glassy
2. Calculate: Select the Density test. What is the density of Sample A? 2.6
3. Measure: Select the Hardness test. Hardness is a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched. It
is measured on a scale of 1 to 10 called Mohs scale. If a mineral scratches a fingernail (hardness 2.5) but
not a penny (3.5), its hardness is about 3.
A. Drag the mineral sample across each All the objects got scratched.
test object. Which objects are scratched?
B. What is the estimated hardness of the mineral? 6.6 or higher
4. Observe: Select the Streak test. The streak is the color of a material’s powder. You can observe the
streak by rubbing the mineral across a tile called a “streak plate.”
Drag the mineral sample across the streak plate. What color is the streak?
It didn't leave a streak.
Note: If the mineral is harder than the streak plate (about 6.5), it won’t leave a streak.
5. Observe: Select the Acid test. Some minerals cause hydrochloric acid to bubble and fizz.
Drag the eyedropper of acid over to the mineral. Does the acid fizz?
No, it does not react.
6. Identify: Now it is time to identify the mineral. Look at your Mineral Key. Find a mineral that has
properties that match Sample A. Type the name under Mineral name in the Gizmo and press Submit. It
may take several guesses to get it right.
What mineral is Sample A? Quartz
Student Exploration: GIZMO Mineral Identification
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions
and prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: crystal, density, hardness, homogeneous, luster, mass, mineral, streak, volume
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. Suppose you find a yellow piece of metal in a stream. How could you tell if it is real
gold? You could try to rub it across something and see if the color looks gold.
2. In the city a street peddler offers to sell you a diamond ring for thirty bucks. How could you test if the rock
in the ring is a real diamond?
Diamonds are very hard and will scratch any natural substance.
Gizmo Warm-up: Determining density
A mineral is a naturally formed crystal. You can identify a mineral
by its properties. In the Mineral Identification Gizmo, under
Choose property to test, select Density.
1. Mass is the amount of substance in an object. Drag
the mineral sample onto the balance.
What is the mass of the mineral? (Units are grams, g.) 36.4 g
2. Volume is the amount of space an object takes up. The volume is measured by how much the
water rises in a graduated cylinder. Drag the mineral into the cylinder.
What is the volume of the mineral? (Units are milliliters, or mL.) 14 mL
3. Density is a measure of how “light” or “heavy” an object is for its size. To find the density of an
object, divide the mass by the volume. (Calculators are recommended.)
What is the density of the mineral? (Units are grams per milliliter, g/mL.) 2.6 9/mL
, Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A: ● Under Property, select Appearance.
Mineral properties ● Check that Sample A is on the screen. (If not, press
Previous until sample A is there.)
Question: What properties allow us to identify minerals?
1. Observe: Minerals are made of atoms in a repeating pattern and often form crystals. The shapes of
crystals can help identify the mineral. Luster is the way the mineral’s surface reflects light. There are
many ways to describe luster, four examples are shown. Color can sometimes be a useful way to identify
a mineral, but it is not always reliable.
A. Describe the crystal shape of Sample A: Irregular
B. Describe its color and luster: Metallic and Glassy
2. Calculate: Select the Density test. What is the density of Sample A? 2.6
3. Measure: Select the Hardness test. Hardness is a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched. It
is measured on a scale of 1 to 10 called Mohs scale. If a mineral scratches a fingernail (hardness 2.5) but
not a penny (3.5), its hardness is about 3.
A. Drag the mineral sample across each All the objects got scratched.
test object. Which objects are scratched?
B. What is the estimated hardness of the mineral? 6.6 or higher
4. Observe: Select the Streak test. The streak is the color of a material’s powder. You can observe the
streak by rubbing the mineral across a tile called a “streak plate.”
Drag the mineral sample across the streak plate. What color is the streak?
It didn't leave a streak.
Note: If the mineral is harder than the streak plate (about 6.5), it won’t leave a streak.
5. Observe: Select the Acid test. Some minerals cause hydrochloric acid to bubble and fizz.
Drag the eyedropper of acid over to the mineral. Does the acid fizz?
No, it does not react.
6. Identify: Now it is time to identify the mineral. Look at your Mineral Key. Find a mineral that has
properties that match Sample A. Type the name under Mineral name in the Gizmo and press Submit. It
may take several guesses to get it right.
What mineral is Sample A? Quartz
