Mineral Gizmo
test score ___
Name_______________________Hr___
Log in to Gizmos by going to www.explorelearning.com and using your username and
password to access your account. Select Mineral Gizmo from the list
Now that you have used the real minerals and tools in the Mineral Lab to identify
minerals by their properties, use the gizmo to explore some of the
minerals that we don’t have & use some new tests in addition to the original tests you
ran to identify the minerals.
Instructions:
1. Press the ‘Next’ or ‘Previous’ button to select the LETTER of the sample mineral
you want to test.
a. (feel free to look through others once you are done with the ones listed below!)
2. Use the ‘Choose Property’ option and select the tests needed to perform.
3. Follow the testing directions and record all observations in the table below.
4. Use the reference guide/key provided here to identify the minerals based on their
properties. Type the name under Mineral name in the Gizmo and press ‘Submit’.
5. If correct, move on to the next mineral. If wrong, go back to step #4
6. Take the 5 question assessment on YOUR Gizmo screen. Post your score on the
top of this worksheet.
Vocabulary and testing directions hints:
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Mass is the amount of substance in an object. Drag the mineral sample onto the
balance.
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.
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.)
Minerals are made of atoms in a repeating pattern and often form crystals. Use the
picture on the Gizmo to ID the crystal shape (or record the shape AFTER naming by using the key).
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.
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.
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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.”
Use the Acid test. Some minerals cause hydrochloric acid to bubble and fizz. To run
this test drag the eyedropper of acid over to the mineral.
Sample
A
C
D
F
G
N
O
S
T
W
X
Crystal Shape
Color/
Luster
Density
Hardness
Streak
Fizzes
in
Acid?
Name