Students worked on a lab testing certain types of minerals in Mrs. Amber McCauley’s science class, Physics of Earth and Space Science. The class has been studying types of rocks and minerals and how to identify them.

The lab included a worksheet to answer questions related to the rocks and tests to perform on the minerals.

“Students are classifying rocks and minerals to determine the key characteristics of type- not all are brown and grey- some are really pretty and distinctive,” said Mrs. McCauley

The tests on the minerals included a streak test, where one would compare the mineral’s color to the color of its streak on a tile; an acidic test, to see how the mineral reacts to vinegar; looking at the mineral’s luster, which can be described as shiny, dull, glassy, waxy, pearly, silky, greasy; and, finally, a cleavage test to see how the rock breaks apart.

The day after finishing the lab, students began studying the rock cycle, which is the process of how a rock would change from one type to another.