Lab-Aids: Mineral Structure - Cleavage and Fracture Experiment Kit
This engaging activity is used to help students identify minerals by their physical properties of cleavage and fracture. Mineral samples (included) are used to show cleavage in one, two, three, four, and six directions. Other minerals in the kit are used to demonstrate the conchoidal and uneven properties of fracture. This is an excellent activity to follow up crystal structure or earth chemistry units.
Scientific Concepts:
- Identify minerals by physical properties of cleavage and fracture
- Sort samples by fracture and cleavage
- Determine angles between cleavage planes
- Understand the angular relationships between cleavage direction
- Correlate cleavage and fracture properties with commercial uses of these minerals
Content List:
- 1 Teachers Guide
- 30 Student Worksheets and Guides
- 15 Goniometers Specimens
- 5 Flourite
- 8 Obsidian
- 8 Serpentine
- 5 Biotite mica
- 5 Calcite
- 5 Halite
- 5 Hornblend
- 5 Microcline feldspar
- 5 Sphalerite
Classroom Planning:
- To complete this kit requires one ~50-minute class period
- Number of students: 30
