Final answer:
The way a mineral surface scatters light is known as luster, which can be metallic or non-metallic depending on whether the mineral allows light to pass through its atomic structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The way a mineral surface scatters light is known as luster. This term describes the interaction of light with the surface of a mineral. Minerals can have metallic or non-metallic lusters, where metallic ones do not allow light to pass through their atomic structure, and non-metallic minerals do allow some light to pass through.
It is important not to confuse shiny with metallic, as some non-metallic minerals can also appear shiny. Streak is another property related to a mineral's interaction with light; however, it is defined as the color of a mineral in powdered form and is especially important for identifying metallic minerals.