|
Mineral Characteristic |
What the
mineralogists say |
Kid's Guide: What it REALLY
means! |
| Chemical Symbol |
CuFeS2 |
It has iron, sulfur, and copper in it. |
| Color |
Bright yellow |
It is bright yellow but will turn other colors like
blue, green, and purple when it is exposed to air. |
| Streak |
Dark green |
If chalcopyrite is crushed, the dust would be dark
green. |
| Transparency |
Opaque |
Light won’t pass through it. You can’t see through it. |
| Luster |
Metallic |
If a light is shined on it, it will be glassy. |
| Cleavage |
Poor |
When a mineral is broken, it will break in the same way
each time. This one doesn’t show the same pattern each
time so you can’t identify it that way. |
| Fracture |
Conchoidal & brittle |
It is easy to break. When it fractures, it breaks into
smooth ring shapes. |
| Magnetism |
None |
It will not attract, or be attracted to, a magnet. |
| Hardness |
3.5 |
It can be scratched by a nail. It is on the soft side. |
| Specific gravity |
4.2 |
It is average in weight. If you held it, it would seem
about the right weight compared to its size. |
| Crystal Shape |
Tetragonal |
 |
