Final answer:
The student's question involves identifying a mineral based on its physical and chemical properties, which include specific reactions to hydrochloric acid (HCl), characteristic cleavage, and potential colors. Characteristics of halogens and their properties are also mentioned.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to identifying a mineral based on its physical and chemical properties. These properties include nonmetallic luster, perfect cleavage in three directions at nearly 75 degrees, reaction with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to produce fizzing, and a range of possible colors from colorless to grey.
Such description suggests the mineral could likely be calcite, known for these characteristics, including fizzing due to release of carbon dioxide when reacting with acids like HCl.
Additional properties common to minerals are referenced throughout, such as texture (medium, fine), reaction with acid (fizzes in dilute HCl acid, or only when scratched), taste (salty), hardness (able to be scratched by a fingernail, or able to scratch glass), and fracture (conchoidal, like flint).
A volatile waxy white solid that is dangerously reactive in air, glowing and spontaneously bursting into flames, with a melting point of 44.2°C, points to a substance like white phosphorus. Furthermore, the descriptions of chlorine, bromine, and iodine as gases in different colors highlight the diverse physical states and properties of halogens.
Lastly, certain minerals like quartz that fizz in acid or dense, fine-grained minerals with flint-like fracture might correspond to specific types of quartz or chalcedony.