Each statement represents an important learning objective that relates to one or more sections of this lab exercise. After you complete this exercise, you should be able to:

• List the main characteristics that an Earth material must possess to be considered a mineral.

• Describe the physical properties commonly used to identify minerals.

• Identify the most common rock-forming minerals and list the uses of several economic minerals.

For a student learning about Earth, identifying minerals using relatively simple techniques is an important skill. Knowledge of common minerals and their properties is basic to an understanding of rocks. This exercise introduces the physical and chemical properties of minerals and how these properties are used to identify common minerals.