The term for the way a mineral reflects light from its surface is:

The term for the way a mineral reflects light from its surface is:

• A. Luster
• B. Color
• C. Streak
• D. Hardness

Answer: (A)

Luster describes how a mineral's surface reflects light, giving it its surface sheen. It’s about the appearance when light hits the mineral, not its color or the color of the powder left when rubbed. Luster can be metallic, as on pyrite, or nonmetallic, ranging from glassy (vitreous) to pearly, silky, or dull. This is different from color (the mineral’s visible hue), streak (the color of its powder), and hardness (how easily it scratches). So the term that matches “the way a mineral reflects light from its surface” is luster.

Luster describes how a mineral's surface reflects light, giving it its surface sheen. It’s about the appearance when light hits the mineral, not its color or the color of the powder left when rubbed. Luster can be metallic, as on pyrite, or nonmetallic, ranging from glassy (vitreous) to pearly, silky, or dull. This is different from color (the mineral’s visible hue), streak (the color of its powder), and hardness (how easily it scratches). So the term that matches “the way a mineral reflects light from its surface” is luster.