Minerals present in granite

In this activity, students identify the main minerals present in granite and investigate some of their properties.

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• identify the rock known as granite
• recognise and identify the main minerals present in granite
• state some of the physical properties associated with each of the component minerals
• effectively use optical aids such as hand lenses and simple binocular microscopes.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

Granite

This diagram is a magnified schematic that shows the mineral make-up of the igneous rock known as granite. The main minerals present are feldspars, micas and quartz. The arrangement of these minerals in the rock is purely random.

Download the Word file (see link below) for:

• introduction/background notes
• instructions on what you need and what to do
• discussion questions
• ideas for extending your students
• student worksheet.