Asked by caleb
How are minerals identified?
their odor
their size
their shape
their taste
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
Primarily by their physical and chemical properties — most importantly crystal form (shape).
Note: size is not diagnostic (crystals can be any size). Odor and taste are rarely used but can help in a few cases (e.g., rotten-egg smell for some sulfurs, salty taste for halite). More commonly used ID tests are hardness, luster, color/streak, cleavage/fracture, specific gravity, magnetism and acid reaction.
Note: size is not diagnostic (crystals can be any size). Odor and taste are rarely used but can help in a few cases (e.g., rotten-egg smell for some sulfurs, salty taste for halite). More commonly used ID tests are hardness, luster, color/streak, cleavage/fracture, specific gravity, magnetism and acid reaction.
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