Special Mineral Properties Unit Essential Question: How can we use the properties of a mineral to identify it? Presentation Objectives: Identify and describe unique properties that can make it easy to identify specific minerals. Special Property 1: Smell and Taste • Smell - Sulfur and Sphalerite • Smells like rotting eggs when... • Sulfur is heated. • Sphalerite is sprinkled with hydrochloric acid (HCl). • Taste - Halite • Halite is NaCl, which is salt! Do NOT lick the mineral samples!! • Some minerals have a distinct smell or taste. Special Property 2: Radioactivity • Some minerals contain radioactive elements. • Most common are uranium and thorium. • Use a Geiger counter to detect the energy released from these elements in the minerals. Uraninite Thorianite Special Property 3: Magnetism • Magnetite is a mineral made out of iron. • It has magnetic properties which means it attracts magnets or other metal objects. Magnetite at the Smithsonian