Question

In order to classify a mineral, scientists will sometimes scratch the mineral with a piece of unglazed porcelain and then analyze the color of the powder that this produces. Which property does this test analyze?

A. hardness
B. fracture
C. luster
D. streak

Answer 1

Answer: Streak

Explanation: The streak test is done by scraping a specimen of the mineral across a piece of unglazed porcelain known as a "streak plate."

Answer 2

The above-mentioned method is used to analyze the streak of a mineral. Streak can be different from that of the color of the mineral, itself. It is used for soft minerals, and such minerals have their characteristic streaks. So the correct answer to your question is D.