Rocks and Minerals
Properties of Minerals
Further Exploration
An immense, web-based databse of minerals that includes physical properties, photographs, chemical composition, animations of mineral structure, and classification.
The Physical Characteristics of Minerals
Mineral Gallery - A more detailed exploration of mineral properties, including more unusual properties like phosphorescence and magnetism. Includes lots of pictures.
Biography
USGS
The father of mineral classification
Unknown
Creator of the hardness scale
Classics
The Microhardness of Minerals Comprising the Mohs Scale
Hodge and McKay - Development of a new hardness scale
The Cause of Color in Smoky Quartz and Amethyst
Holden - Summarizing color occurence in quartz
News & Events
In the Buff: Tools derived luster from diamond
Science News
Life on Mars? What minerals can tell us
Science Daily
News from around the world of science.
Research
USGS mineral resources.
Google - Research database allows searching of the scholarly literature.
Experiment!
Mineral Physical Properties and Identification Tool
From Richard Harwood at Black Hawk College, the tool includes an image of a mineral and a series of physical properties tests that help you identify minerals.
Designed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), this interactive resource describes the minerals found in items we encounter every day.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States
National Academies Press: A Framework for K-12 Science Education
Post
Tweet
Send