Question

Which of the following best describes the term streak?

a.When no light is transmitted through a mineral sample.
b.The arrangement of atoms in an orderly, repetitive structure.
c.When both light and an image are visible through a mineral sample.
d.The amount or quality of light reflected from a mineral surface.
e.The color of a powdered form of a mineral produced by rubbing it across a hard surface.

Answer 1

The term streak describes the color of a powdered mineral, which can differ from its color in solid form and is important for identifying minerals, particularly metallic ones.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term streak refers to the color of a mineral in powdered form. This is observed by rubbing the mineral across a white ceramic plate, leaving a powder trace which reveals its streak color. This characteristic is particularly useful in identifying minerals and may differ from the mineral's appearance in its solid form.

While many minerals might share the same color in their solid form, their streak color can provide a more accurate identification method. It is especially diagnostic for metallic minerals, and less so for others whose streak color might be white or matches the hand-sample color.