Question 1

The image below shows a mineral specimen of pyrite.What is the term for the thin parallel corrugations or stripes shown on the crystal faces below?

Accepted Answer

A) conchoidal fractures 
B) facets 
C) cleavage planes 
D) striations 
A) conchoidal fractures 
B) facets 
C) cleavage planes 
D) striations

Question 2

With regard to minerals,hardness refers to the ability to resist ________.

Accepted Answer

A) breaking 
B) being scratched 
C) chemical reactions with other substances 
D) bending 
A) breaking 
B) being scratched 
C) chemical reactions with other substances 
D) bending

Question 3

For the majority of minerals,the streak color obtained when the mineral is scratched against a porcelain plate is ________.

Accepted Answer

A) only useful if the mineral is softer than porcelain 
B) more variable than the color in a hand sample among crystals 
C) not useful because the porcelain will often chemically react with the mineral 
D) always dark brown or black 
A) only useful if the mineral is softer than porcelain 
B) more variable than the color in a hand sample among crystals 
C) not useful because the porcelain will often chemically react with the mineral 
D) always dark brown or black

Question 4

When two different minerals have the same chemical formula but different crystal structures,they are said to be ________.

Accepted Answer

A) polymorphs 
B) polyliths 
C) monoliths 
D) This is not possible.Two minerals cannot have the same chemical formula. 
A) polymorphs 
B) polyliths 
C) monoliths 
D) This is not possible.Two minerals cannot have the same chemical formula.

Question 5

Gemstones are commonly found in pegmatites,which are igneous rocks that are ________.

Accepted Answer

A) exceptionally mafic 
B) extrusive,forming from lava 
C) exceptionally coarse grained 
D) exceptionally fine grained 
A) exceptionally mafic 
B) extrusive,forming from lava 
C) exceptionally coarse grained 
D) exceptionally fine grained

Question 6

The most recently formed portion of any crystal is always found ________.

Accepted Answer

A) deep within the interior 
B) on the outer edges 
C) on whichever side is currently facing upward 
D) There is no consistent pattern for crystal formation. 
A) deep within the interior 
B) on the outer edges 
C) on whichever side is currently facing upward 
D) There is no consistent pattern for crystal formation.

Question 7

Which of the following choices has particles ordered from smallest to largest in size?

Accepted Answer

A) atom,nucleus,proton,electron 
B) electron,proton,nucleus,atom 
C) proton,electron,nucleus,atom 
D) atom,electron,nucleus,proton 
A) atom,nucleus,proton,electron 
B) electron,proton,nucleus,atom 
C) proton,electron,nucleus,atom 
D) atom,electron,nucleus,proton

Question 8

Calcite (CaCO₃)is in which mineral class?

Accepted Answer

A) silicates 
B) carbonates 
C) oxides 
D) sulfides 
A) silicates 
B) carbonates 
C) oxides 
D) sulfides

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the color of minerals?

Accepted Answer

A) Some minerals have a consistent color,but many have a range of possible colors. 
B) The streak color tends to be less variable than the color of a whole mineral. 
C) Color is often controlled by impurities or minor chemical components of the mineral. 
D) A mineral's color reflects the wavelengths of light that are absorbed by the mineral. 
A) Some minerals have a consistent color,but many have a range of possible colors. 
B) The streak color tends to be less variable than the color of a whole mineral. 
C) Color is often controlled by impurities or minor chemical components of the mineral. 
D) A mineral's color reflects the wavelengths of light that are absorbed by the mineral.

Question 10

The diamonds we typically see today in engagement rings do not display their natural crystal faces but rather ________,which are made by grinding the gem on a spinning lap.

Accepted Answer

A) striations 
B) facets 
C) cleavage planes 
D) facades 
A) striations 
B) facets 
C) cleavage planes 
D) facades

Question 11

Pyrite (FeS₂)is in which mineral class?

Accepted Answer

A) silicates 
B) carbonates 
C) oxides 
D) sulfides 
A) silicates 
B) carbonates 
C) oxides 
D) sulfides

Question 12

When a solution becomes oversaturated,new solid particles are said to ________.

Accepted Answer

A) precipitate from the solution 
B) dissolve into the solution 
C) react with the solution and produce heat 
D) rapidly expand,causing an explosion 
A) precipitate from the solution 
B) dissolve into the solution 
C) react with the solution and produce heat 
D) rapidly expand,causing an explosion

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true about minerals?

Accepted Answer

A) All minerals are compounds of more than one element. 
B) All minerals are naturally made. 
C) Some minerals are precipitated by organisms. 
D) All minerals can be expressed as chemical formulas. 
A) All minerals are compounds of more than one element. 
B) All minerals are naturally made. 
C) Some minerals are precipitated by organisms. 
D) All minerals can be expressed as chemical formulas.

Question 14

SiO₄⁴-,S²-,and CO₃²- are all examples of ________.

Accepted Answer

A) organic compounds 
B) silicate minerals 
C) anions 
D) cations 
A) organic compounds 
B) silicate minerals 
C) anions 
D) cations

Question 15

Which of the following common minerals is softest?

Accepted Answer

A) quartz 
B) calcite 
C) talc 
D) fluorite 
A) quartz 
B) calcite 
C) talc 
D) fluorite

Question 16

In silicate minerals,silica tetrahedra may be chemically bonded to form all of the following EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

A) long one-dimensional chains 
B) flat two-dimensional sheets 
C) complex three-dimensional frameworks 
D) nearly perfect pyramid-shaped crystals 
A) long one-dimensional chains 
B) flat two-dimensional sheets 
C) complex three-dimensional frameworks 
D) nearly perfect pyramid-shaped crystals

Question 17

The atomic number of an element corresponds to the ________.

Accepted Answer

A) number of electrons 
B) number of protons 
C) number of neutrons 
D) total weight of one atom 
A) number of electrons 
B) number of protons 
C) number of neutrons 
D) total weight of one atom

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a way for minerals to crystallize?

Accepted Answer

A) solidification of a melt (lava/magma) 
B) bonding carbon to oxygen atoms to form organic compounds 
C) solid-state diffusion 
D) biomineralization 
A) solidification of a melt (lava/magma) 
B) bonding carbon to oxygen atoms to form organic compounds 
C) solid-state diffusion 
D) biomineralization

Question 19

The single property that can be used to identify any mineral is ________.

Accepted Answer

A) color 
B) luster 
C) cleavage 
D) Multiple properties must be used to identify a mineral. 
A) color 
B) luster 
C) cleavage 
D) Multiple properties must be used to identify a mineral.

Question 20

Using the Mohs hardness scale below,which of the following statements is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A) Your fingernail can scratch a sample of gypsum. 
B) Diamonds are twice as hard as apatite. 
C) Diamonds are more than seven times as hard as quartz. 
D) Quartz cannot scratch anything made of steel. 
A) Your fingernail can scratch a sample of gypsum. 
B) Diamonds are twice as hard as apatite. 
C) Diamonds are more than seven times as hard as quartz. 
D) Quartz cannot scratch anything made of steel.

Exam 5: Patterns in Nature: Minerals

The image below shows a mineral specimen of pyrite.What is the term for the thin parallel corrugations or stripes shown on the crystal faces below?

With regard to minerals,hardness refers to the ability to resist ________.

For the majority of minerals,the streak color obtained when the mineral is scratched against a porcelain plate is ________.

When two different minerals have the same chemical formula but different crystal structures,they are said to be ________.

Gemstones are commonly found in pegmatites,which are igneous rocks that are ________.

The most recently formed portion of any crystal is always found ________.

Which of the following choices has particles ordered from smallest to largest in size?

Calcite (CaCO₃)is in which mineral class?

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the color of minerals?

The diamonds we typically see today in engagement rings do not display their natural crystal faces but rather ________,which are made by grinding the gem on a spinning lap.

Pyrite (FeS₂)is in which mineral class?

When a solution becomes oversaturated,new solid particles are said to ________.

Which of the following is NOT true about minerals?

SiO₄⁴-,S²-,and CO₃²- are all examples of ________.

Which of the following common minerals is softest?

In silicate minerals,silica tetrahedra may be chemically bonded to form all of the following EXCEPT ________.

The atomic number of an element corresponds to the ________.

Which of the following is NOT a way for minerals to crystallize?

The single property that can be used to identify any mineral is ________.

Using the Mohs hardness scale below,which of the following statements is NOT true?

Cosmology and the Birth of Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags,cracks,and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Squeezing Power From a Stone: Energy Resources

Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

An Envelope of Gas: Earths Atmosphere and Climate

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Introducing Rocks

a Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

the Rock Cycle in the Earth System

the Earths Interior, revisited: Seismic Layering, gravity, and the Magnetic Field

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Filters