Minerals Quiz
How hard is Talc?
1
How hard is a diamond?
10
How hard is a copper penny?
3.5
How hard is Flourite?
4
How hard is glass?
5.5
How hard is quartz?
7
How hard is topaz?
8
The data table shows the composition of six common rock-forming minerals: MINERAL 1. Muscovite Mica 2. Olivine 3. Orthoclase 4. Plagioclase 5. Pyroxene 6. Quartz COMPOSITION 1. KAI3Si3O10 2. (FeMg)2SiO4 3. KAlSi3O8 4. NaAlSi3O6 5. CaMgSi2O6 6. SiO2 The data table provides evidence that...
A few elements are found in many minerals
What property would a mineral have if it appears like a new quarter in reflective light?
A metallic luster
How can minerals be identified?
By the composition
The following diagrams represent four different mineral samples. *Flat breaks* Which mineral property is best represented by the samples
Cleavage
Describe five common properties of minerals that can be used to identify them...
Color, streak, luster, crystal form, hardness, cleavage, fracture, density
Describe four processes that result in the formation of crystals...
Crystallization from magma (crystals form when it cools), Precipitation (when ice from surfaces of bodies of water melt, sometimes the dissolved substances form into minerals), Pressure and temperature (Increase in pressure can cause minerals to form), Hydrothermal Solutions (Hot water mixed with minerals form new minerals)
Diamonds and graphite are both minerals that are composed of the element carbon. Diamond has a hardness of 10, while graphite has a hardness of 1. Based on your knowledge of earth science, what is the most probable cause of this difference in hardness?
Different atomic structure
Which rock is usually composed of several different minerals?
Gneiss
A mineral scratches a piece of fluorite but cannot be scratched by a piece of glass. What is the mineral's hardness?
Greater than 4 but less than 5.5
Which property of the mineral diamond allows diamond powder to be used to shape gems for jewelry?
Hardness
The cubic shape of a mineral crystal is most likely the result of that crystal's...
Internal arrangement of atoms
What are the five characteristics of a mineral?
Naturally occurring, solid substance, orderly crystalline structure, definite chemical composition, generally considered inorganic
Minerals are composed of...
One or more chemical elements
A mineral cannot be...
Organic
What are the four most abundant elements, by volume, in Earth's crust?
Oxygen, potassium, sodium, and calcium
A six-sided mineral is a very hard mineral called...
Quartz
Only a small number of Earth's minerals are commonly found in rocks. This fact indicates that most...
Rocks have a number of minerals in common
The relative hardness of a mineral can best be tested by...
Scratching the mineral across a glass plate
Minerals are identified on the basis of...
Their physical and chemical properties
How is the Mohs scale used?
Used to identify a mineral's hardness
What information about a mineral is needed to determine its density?
Volume and mass
