Geology Chapter 5

Which of the following statements accurately describes a property that is NOT useful in identifying quartz? A. Color, because quartz can be many different colors. B. Fracture, because quartz does not have fracture. C. Hardness, because quartz is softer than most minerals in Mohs scale. D. Crystal habit, because quartz has a fibrous crystal habit.

A. Color, because quartz can be many different colors.

Which of the following is NOT a mineral? A. oil, because it's a liquid, not a solid B. salt, because it's not crystalline C. a gold nugget, because it's a native metal D. pyrite, because it's a chemical compound

A. oil, because it's a liquid, not a solid

An unknown mineral scratches glass, has only average specific gravity, and shows no cleavage but does show conchoidal fracture. Which of the following could it be? A. quartz B. talc C. halite D. mica

A. quartz

When you scrape a mineral along a ceramic plate to observe the color of its powder, you are checking the physical property known as: A. streak. B. luster. C. cleavage. D. specific gravity.

A. streak.

Which of the following statements is FALSE? Diamonds: A. are brought from the mantle to the surface in magma that hardens into kimberlite. B. are found in carrot-shaped structures called pegmatites. C. of industrial quality are used as abrasives. D. that have weathered out of ore bodies can end up in stream gravels.

B. are found in carrot-shaped structures called pegmatites.

Which of the following is a mineral? A. amber (tree sap) B. oyster shell (CaCO3) C. sugar (formula C6H12O6) D. glass

B. oyster shell (CaCO3)

Which of the following groups of silicate minerals exhibits a single strong cleavage in one direction? A. framework silicates B. sheet silicates C. independent tetrahedra silicates D. single-chain silicates

B. sheet silicates

Which of the following statements is TRUE? A. Hydrogen has an atomic mass of 1. B. An isotope of an element has the same atomic mass, but different atomic number. C. Helium has an atomic number of 2. D. The atomic mass of an element is approximately equal to the number of protons in an atom of that element.

C. Helium has an atomic number of 2.

Identify the FALSE statement: A. There is an angle of 120° between each crystal face of the hexagonal column of a quartz crystal. B. Crystals can be a variety of geometric shapes, including cubes, trapezoids, pyramids, octahedrons, hexagons, columns, blades, and needles. C. Negative ions are called cations and have more protons than electrons; positive ions are anions and have more electrons than protons. D. The faces of a crystal need not be the same size throughout the crystal, but the angle of intersection between comparable faces is the same throughout.

C. Negative ions are called cations and have more protons than electrons; positive ions are anions and have more electrons than protons.

Which of the following statements is FALSE? Crystals: A. have an orderly internal arrangement of atoms arranged in a lattice pattern. B. grow outward from a seed. C. are formed by the high-temperature, extremely rapid process known as solid-state diffusion. D. display symmetry.

C. are formed by the high-temperature, extremely rapid process known as solid-state diffusion.

The tendency of a mineral to break and produce smooth, curving shell-shaped surfaces is termed: A. luster. B. perfect cleavage. C. conchoidal fracture. D. streak.

C. conchoidal fracture.

There are two physical properties of minerals that both result in smooth, flat surfaces with specific angles between them. The first property is externally visible and is the result of how the mineral forms; the second is inherently internal and is the result of breaking a sample of the mineral. These properties are called: A. hardness and cleavage. B. cleavage and hardness. C. crystal habit and cleavage. D. cleavage and crystal habit.

C. crystal habit and cleavage.

Which of the following statements is FALSE? Formation of table salt: A. is, in mineralogic terms, formation of the halide mineral halite. B. takes place when a solution has become saturated. C. is an example of solidification of a melt. D. results in cubic crystals.

C. is an example of solidification of a melt.

Which of the following statements about gemstones is FALSE? A. Ruby is a gemstone variety of the common mineral corundum. B. Many gemstones come from pegmatites, which are particularly coarse-grained igneous rocks. C. A gemstone is a mineral that has value because of its rarity and beauty. D. In order to be considered precious or semiprecious, a gemstone must be transparent.

D. In order to be considered precious or semiprecious, a gemstone must be transparent.

Which is NOT a physical property commonly used in the lab or field to identify minerals? A. color B. specific gravity C. luster D. X-ray diffraction

D. X-ray diffraction

Identify the FALSE statement. Silicates: A. have the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron as their structural unit. B. are a major component of continental crust. C. are classified on the basis of how the tetrahedrons join and share oxygen atoms. D. are a large category of minerals and include the common minerals calcite and dolomite.

D. are a large category of minerals and include the common minerals calcite and dolomite.

Calcite and aragonite minerals that constitute clam shells are examples of which method of mineral formation? A. solidification of a melt B. precipitation from a solution C. solid-state diffusion D. biomineralization

D. biomineralization

Graphite is: A. the polymorph of galena. B. harder than glass. C. pure silicon. D. the "lead" in the pencil you write with.

D. the "lead" in the pencil you write with.

The expression 24 karat must mean that: A. you're talking about the biggest diamond ever found. B. a gemstone is flawed by impurities. C. there are 24 cleavage planes present. D. the gold is 100% pure.

D. the gold is 100% pure.