Answer:
There are 10 steps to help identify the rock/mineral...
Step 1: Pick Your Mineral/rock and clean off any debris or dirt ...
Step 2: Hardness. Kit of Mohs' Hardness Mineral Identification. ...
Step 3: Luster. Luster describes the way light reflects off of the surface of the mineral. ...
Step 4: Color. ...
Step 5: Streak. ...use streak plate, sidewalk, broken kitchen tile even and scratch rock against it
Step 6: Crystal Form and Mineral Habit. ...
Step 7: Cleavage and Fracture. ...how the rock breaks, smooth edges or jagged rigid edges where breaks and fractures are
Step 8: Magnetism. Use a front magnet or even a needle compass to see if rock has any magnetic pull to it.
Step 9: Any other identifying factors such as taste, fizz, heft. You can test fizz by dropping the rock in any acidic type substance. Vinegar is 1 of the safest liquids to use to observe if it had any fizzing. Heft is just checking how the density feels by holding the rock in your hand, does it feel heavier than it looks or is it extremely lighter than you would have guessed when holding it?
Step 10: Final Step is looking up all of these things you took notes on above and figuring out which category your rock/mineral fits best under and you have your answer :-)
