Preliminary: Rocks and Minerals

[Luo]

Or your own streak plates, I suppose.

Streak plates weren't allowed in 2008. Maybe they will be allowed next year, though; who knows.

[gneissisnice]

Or your own streak plates, I suppose.

Streak plates weren't allowed in 2008. Maybe they will be allowed next year, though; who knows.

Streak plates and glass plates will be provided, you're not allowed to bring them. You can bring a magnifying glass if you want to. You don't need one, but I suppose it can help in some cases.

[Cheesy Pie]

Do they provide microscopes?

[kjhsscioly]

I honestly cannot imagine what a microscope can tell you about a rock that a magnifying glass can't. Can we bring a calculator or ruler, or a penny?

[gneissisnice]

Do they provide microscopes?

The only stuff a microscope will tell you about minerals that you won't know otherwise are optical properties, which are way beyond the event (that's stuff I learned in my upper division mineralogy class in college). You won't need a microscope for the event.

[anatomy]

Do they provide microscopes?

The only stuff a microscope will tell you about minerals that you won't know otherwise are optical properties, which are way beyond the event (that's stuff I learned in my upper division mineralogy class in college). You won't need a microscope for the event.

well, in fossils magnifying glasses were allowed, so i think that is all you need for the event.
does anybody know when the official list of 2011 - 2012 events comes out?
i am new so i have no clue

[Kokonilly]

Basic information can be found here, just so you know.

[Cheesy Pie]

Streak plates are made of porcelain, which is mostly orthoclase, with a hardness of 6. Just saying.

[gneissisnice]

Streak plates are made of porcelain, which is mostly orthoclase, with a hardness of 6. Just saying.

But because they're white, you can barely see any scratches on them (and often, the scratches are covered by the streak). So glass is ideal because it's easier to see the scratches.

[kjhsscioly]

I spent the last two weeks of school in AP env. cleaning out the back closets, filled with geology stuff, and we have nearly 200 different rock samples, which is bound to help with ID, but I also noticed that the scratch test boxes included nails and pennies. Are these helpful?