Experiment 1: Index Minerals and Identification
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks exhibit different physical and chemical
properties that provide clues to identification. For example, igneous rocks often have feldspar
crystals, and sedimentary rocks generally are layered with a clastic texture and may contain
fossils. Metamorphic rock texture, particularly foliation or folds, is an indicator. Texture,
caused by parallel orientation of microscopic grains with a tendency to separate along
parallel planes, is also used. Called slaty cleavage, this isn’t the same cleavage related to the
internal atomic structure of a mineral. In this experiment, students will classify metamorphic
rocks using rock textures and mineral characteristics such as hardness and color. Materials
Hand Lens
Glass Plate (Hardness = 3.5 on Mohs Scale)
Metamorphic Rock Specimens: Unknown Mineral 2
Unknown Mineral 3
Unknown Mineral 4
Unknown Mineral 5 Unknown Mineral 1 Procedure
1. Determine the color of each rock. This may be the actual hue or a light, dark, or
intermediate shade. Record your observations in Table 2.
2. Using your knowledge of Mohs hardness scale, determine the hardness by scratching
the rock on the glass plate.
3. Use hand lens if necessary to determine the texture of each rock. You can do this by
examining grain size (for example, coarse, medium, fine, or porphyroblastic – large
crystals in fine surrounding grains). Record your observations in Table 2.
4. Look for presence of foliation and banding in each of the rock samples. Record your
observations in Table 2.
5. Perform a final review on each of the rocks. Is there anything else that makes the rock
different from the rest? If so, indicate why in Table 2.
6. Based on the information you gathered in Steps 1 - 4, complete the following chart to
determine the parent rock of each metamorphic rock sample. © 2014 eScience Labs, LLC.
All Rights Reserved Table 2: Metamorphic Rock Classifications
# Color Hardness Texture Foliation Other Observations Rock Name 1
2
3
4
5
6 Post-Lab Questions
1. Record the parent rock classifications in the space below:
Unknown Rock 1
Unknown Rock 2
Unknown Rock 3
Unknown Rock 4
Unknown Rock 5
Unknown Rock 6 2. Which rock type do you think is the most difficult to identify: igneous, sedimentary,
metamorphic? Why? Note: You made need to perform outside research if your lab
manual does not include the labs covering igneous and sedimentary rocks. © 2014 eScience Labs, LLC.
All Rights Reserved © 2014 eScience Labs, LLC.
All Rights Reserved

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