Question 1

Explain why a cubic zirconia is NOT a mineral.

Accepted Answer

Cubic zirconia is ma

Question 2

Which of the following minerals is a silicate?

Accepted Answer

A) galena 
B) olivine 
C) calcite 
D) halite 
A) galena 
B) olivine 
C) calcite 
D) halite

Question 3

How are sedimentary rocks different from igneous rocks?

Accepted Answer

A sedimentary rock forms mainly either b

Question 4

Which common rock-forming mineral shows up in all three major rock types (igneous, sedimentary, and	metamorphic)?

Accepted Answer

A) diamond 
B) quartz 
C) olivine 
D) kaolinite 
A) diamond 
B) quartz 
C) olivine 
D) kaolinite

Question 5

Potassium feldspar (KAlSi₃O₈) is in which mineral class?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 6

For most 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 7

What is the definition of a rock?

Accepted Answer

A rock is defined by geologist

Question 8

Diamonds are usually found in

Accepted Answer

A) pegmatite. 
B) kimberlite. 
C) sandstone 
D) granite. 
A) pegmatite. 
B) kimberlite. 
C) sandstone 
D) granite.

Question 9

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 10

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 11

What is a thin section and how are they used in geologic study?

Accepted Answer

A thin section is a thin-cut slice of ro

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a way in which specific rock types can be distinguished from one another?

Accepted Answer

A) texture 
B) crystal shape 
C) composition 
D) layering 
A) texture 
B) crystal shape 
C) composition 
D) layering

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

Which of the following minerals is more commonly known as table salt?

Accepted Answer

A) gypsum 
B) feldspar 
C) halite 
D) quartz 
A) gypsum 
B) feldspar 
C) halite 
D) quartz

Question 15

Using the Mohs hardness scale below, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) A 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 diamond. 
A) A 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 diamond.

Question 16

Geologists refer to an exposure of bedrock on the surface as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A) bed. 
B) foliation. 
C) outcrop. 
D) pegmatite. 
A) bed. 
B) foliation. 
C) outcrop. 
D) pegmatite.

Question 17

Minerals are all naturally occurring solid substances with a definable chemical composition. They must also possess

Accepted Answer

A) an ability to be synthesized in the laboratory as well as be found in nature. 
B) metallic elements, such as iron, calcium, or magnesium. 
C) a nonmetallic, vitreous luster. 
D) a fixed crystalline structure (spatial arrangement of atoms and ions). 
A) an ability to be synthesized in the laboratory as well as be found in nature. 
B) metallic elements, such as iron, calcium, or magnesium. 
C) a nonmetallic, vitreous luster. 
D) a fixed crystalline structure (spatial arrangement of atoms and ions).

Question 18

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 19

Trace amounts of impurity in a mineral can commonly produce significant differences in __________ among individual crystals of this mineral.

Accepted Answer

A) color 
B) cleavage 
C) luster 
D) streak 
A) color 
B) cleavage 
C) luster 
D) streak

Question 20

The tetrahedral structure that forms the backbone of all silicate minerals is composed of silicon and what other element?

Accepted Answer

A) magnesium 
B) oxygen 
C) iron 
D) carbon 
A) magnesium 
B) oxygen 
C) iron 
D) carbon

Exam 3: Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Explain why a cubic zirconia is NOT a mineral.

Which of the following minerals is a silicate?

How are sedimentary rocks different from igneous rocks?

Which common rock-forming mineral shows up in all three major rock types (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic)?

Potassium feldspar (KAlSi₃O₈) is in which mineral class?

For most minerals, the streak color obtained when the mineral is scratched against a porcelain plate is

What is the definition of a rock?

Diamonds are usually found in

Pyrite (FeS₂) is in which mineral class?

Which of the following common minerals is softest?

What is a thin section and how are they used in geologic study?

Which of the following is NOT a way in which specific rock types can be distinguished from one another?

Which of the following is NOT true about minerals?

Which of the following minerals is more commonly known as table salt?

Using the Mohs hardness scale below, which of the following statements is FALSE?

Geologists refer to an exposure of bedrock on the surface as a(n)

Minerals are all naturally occurring solid substances with a definable chemical composition. They must also possess

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

Trace amounts of impurity in a mineral can commonly produce significant differences in __________ among individual crystals of this mineral.

The tetrahedral structure that forms the backbone of all silicate minerals is composed of silicon and what other element?

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

A Process of Change: Metamorphism and the Rock Cycle

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

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Shaping the Earths Surface: Landscapes, the Hydrologic Cycle, and Mass Wasting

Freshwater: Streams, Lakes, and Groundwater

Extreme Realms: Desert and Glacial Landscapes

Ocean Waters: the Blue of the Blue Marble

Marine Geology: the Study of Ocean Basins and Coasts

The Air We Breathe: Introducing Earths Atmosphere

Winds of the World: the Earths Major Weather Systems

Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, and Local Weather Systems

Climate and Climate Change

Our Solar System and Beyond

Our Neighborhood in Space

The Sun, Stars, and Deep Space

Prelude: Welcome to Earth Science

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