X-ray Analysis of Sand

Dexter Perkins

University of North Dakota

This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Peer Reviewed Teaching Activities collection. (view details)

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Scientific Accuracy
Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
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Initial Publication Date: August 7, 2006 | Reviewed: November 2, 2013 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

This is an x-ray diffraction analysis of six sand samples and comparison with hand specimens.

X-ray Techniques, Optical Mineralogy, Physical Properties, Mineralogy | College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16)

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Context

Audience

This exercise is designed for a mid/upper-level undergraduate geology course on the principles of mineralogy.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Students should have knowledge of basic chemistry and of minerals equivalent to what they would learn in an introductory geology class.

How the activity is situated in the course

This activity is the 18th of 36 mineralogy exercises and is used around the middle of the course.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Learn practical aspects and limits of X-ray diffraction.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Learn to critically evaluate analytical results.

Other skills goals for this activity

Description of the activity/assignment

This is an x-ray diffraction analysis of six sand samples and comparison with hand specimens. Students look at each of the six samples under the binocular microscope and note such useful properties as number of minerals, cleavage/fracture, color, shape, grain size, roundness, and degree of sorting. Then they grind up small amounts of each sample and mount them on glass slides for X-ray. Students write all sample descriptions and X-ray analysis results in their lab notebook. Then they identify the minerals in each sample, determine where they are from, and write a report summarizing all results.