Bright yellow sulfur!
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Windows to the Universe/L.Gardiner
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Find out how to identify minerals (...and learn what shape, luster, color, streak, hardness, cleavage and fracture are all about!)
Meet some other nonsilicate minerals!
Sulfur
Yuck! What's that smell?
When water mixes with the mineral sulfur, a chemical reaction causes a small amount of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas is produced. Hydrogen sulfide is the same gas that makes rotten eggs smell bad. That's what smells so horrible!
Keep your sulfur minerals dry and they won't make a stink in your mineral collection! Sulfur is brittle when heated and can actually crack if held tightly in a person's hand.
- Shape: Orthorhombic (mostly massive or powdery forms with poor crystal shape)
- Luster: Often resinous butometimes glassy or earthy
- Color: Bright yellow
- Streak: Yellow
- Hardness: 2 on Mohs Hardness Scale
- Cleavage: Poor in two directions
- Fracture: Conchoidal
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The
Fall 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist, focuses on rocks and minerals, including articles on minerals and mining, the use of minerals in society, and rare earth minerals, and includes 3 posters!
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