For an introductory college-level physical geology laboratory course: a review of how to identify common rock-forming minerals. Includes examination of various diagnostic properties, such as cleavage and fractures; hardness; density; color; streak; crystal form; and optical properties such as brightness, transparency and double refraction. Minerals covered include: hornblende, micas (biotite and muscovite), feldspars (plagioclase and K-feldspars), garnet, olivine, pyroxene, quartz, serpentine, talc, calcite, gypsum, graphite, galena, pyrite, fluorite, halite, hematite and magnetite. Note: This video shows over 300 known minerals on Earth; this number is now in the thousands!

**This video comes mid-semester, so there may be terms the audience is unfamiliar with. For a complete playlist, see the Geology playlist on EarthRocks! Youtube channel.

The content of this video is based on information available in any introductory college geology textbook or laboratory manual, such as Essentials of Geology – Tarbuck and Lutgens – Pearson Publishing.

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