<p>It mostly has to do with the fact many minerals are partially translucent. </p>

<p>Trace impurities or even crystal structure can dominate the color of a translucent material but when ground in to a fine powder (streak) they can no longe do so and you can see the true color. </p>

<p>In other minerals surface oxidation can mask the true color.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-19T22:26:12.593Z
Do you have any idea of the scale of such impurities to the size of the powdered fragments. If there are still impurities in the powdered fragments, wouldn't it also affect the absorption of light?
Neeraj Kulkarni
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-19T22:41:57.413Z
Its about the depth, in a translucent material reflection and distortion from a trace impurity builds up, it does not have the thickness to do this in a powder. As an example red veins when viewed through thick skin appears blue due to subsurface scattering, many mineral have this same translucent quality.
John
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-18T20:09:09.027Z
2018-05-18T20:09:09.027Z
John
<p>Many minerals have a streak that's surprisingly different from it's outward color. Why is this? What causes the optical properties to change if the mineral is powdered?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<minerals>
Why is streak different from color?
Neeraj Kulkarni
# Why is streak different from color?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-18)

Many minerals have a streak that's surprisingly different from it's outward color. Why is this? What causes the optical properties to change if the mineral is powdered?

Thanks!

**Tags:** minerals


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-05-18. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

It mostly has to do with the fact many minerals are partially translucent.

Trace impurities or even crystal structure can dominate the color of a translucent material but when ground in to a fine powder (streak) they can no longe do so and you can see the true color.

In other minerals surface oxidation can mask the true color.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Do you have any idea of the scale of such impurities to the size of the powdered fragments. If there are still impurities in the powdered fragments, wouldn't it also affect the absorption of light?  
> **username_1**: Its about the depth, in a translucent material reflection and distortion from a trace impurity builds up, it does not have the thickness to do this in a powder. As an example red veins when viewed through thick skin appears blue due to subsurface scattering, many mineral have this same translucent quality.  

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