Deck 3: Matter and Minerals

Question 1

Which is the strongest of the atomic bonds?

A)Ionic
B)Covalent
C)Metallic
D)Hybrid

Answer 1

B

Question 2

An isotope of oxygen has 8 protons, 10 neutrons, and 8 electrons.What is the atomic mass of this isotope?

A)16
B)18
C)21
D)26

Answer 2

B

Question 3

________ refers to a mineral's intensity and quality of reflected light.

A)Cleavage
B)Luster
C)Tenacity
D)Streak

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following minerals has good cleavage in two directions, which creates a rectangular-shaped crystal?

A)Halite
B)Quartz
C)Plagioclase
D)Biotite

Question 5

Most marine organisms produce the mineral substance ________, which will later become limestone.

A)SiO₂
B)SO₂
C)H₂CO₃
D)CaCO₃

Question 6

________ is defined as a mineral's resistance to scratching.

A)Hardness
B)Cleavage
C)Fracture
D)Streak

Question 7

What is the charge of a single proton?

A)+1
B)-1
C)+2
D)-3

Question 8

Which of the following mineral identification techniques would most easily identify calcite?

A)Taste
B)Streak
C)Magnetism
D)Effervescence

Question 9

In an aqueous solution that has not reached the saturation point, why won't the ions bond to create mineral crystals?

A)The opposite charges of the ions repel each other.
B)The ions are too close together to form a regular internal crystalline structure.
C)The motion of the dissolved ions keeps them from joining.
D)There are too few ions to make any minerals.

Question 10

A ________ is a solid, naturally occurring, cohesive substance composed of minerals or mineral-like materials.

A)tetrahedron
B)mineral
C)rock
D)mixture

Question 11

________ is the study of mineral materials.

A)Mineralogy
B)Lithology
C)Mineralosophy
D)Historical Geology

Question 12

Crystallization of molten rock will produce ________ rocks.

A)metamorphic
B)igneous
C)sedimentary

Question 13

What is the name of the chart that organizes elements in order of chemical properties?

A)Moh's hardness scale
B)Atomic symbols
C)Elemental flowchart
D)Periodic table of elements

Question 14

________ are groups of the same kinds of atoms that cannot be broken down into other substances by ordinary chemical means.

A)Molecules
B)Electrons
C)Elements
D)Minerals

Question 15

Which of the following is not part of the definition of a mineral?

A)Naturally occurring
B)Organic
C)Orderly crystalline structure
D)Definite chemical composition

Question 16

Which of the following is the hardest known natural substance?

A)Talc
B)Diamond
C)Quartz
D)Sapphire

Question 17

Which of the following is not one of the three primary ways minerals can form?

A)Hybridization
B)Precipitation
C)Crystallization of molten material
D)Biological Processes

Question 18

Which of the following is a rock composed of nonmineral matter?

A)Granite
B)Coal
C)Limestone
D)Basalt

Question 19

According to the octet rule, atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons until they are surrounded by ________ valence electrons.

A)2
B)6
C)8
D)10

Question 20

What is an ion?

A)An atom that has more or fewer protons than it should
B)An atom that has more or fewer neutrons than it should
C)An atom that has more or fewer electrons than it should

Question 21

Why will an iron-rich olivine have a higher density than a magnesium-rich olivine?

A)More magnesium is needed to equal the same atomic charge as iron.
B)Iron-rich olivine has smaller crystals, so more of them will fit into the same area.
C)Magnesium-rich olivine has more silicon, which is less dense.
D)Iron has a greater atomic mass than magnesium and therefore is heavier.

Question 22

The addition of which of the following will control a mineral's color?

A)Water
B)Biologic secretions
C)Pigment
D)Trace elements

Question 23

Define the tenacity of a mineral.

A)Resistance to scratching
B)Parting along a plane of weakness
C)A specific pattern of fracturing
D)Resistance to breaking or deforming

Question 24

Which ferromagnesian mineral is believed to constitute up to 50 percent of the mantle?

A)Biotite
B)Amphibole
C)Olivine
D)Garnet

Question 25

The ________ are the mineral class that accounts for more than 90 percent of the Earth's crust.

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

Question 26

Only eight elements make up the vast majority of rock-forming minerals.Which of the following elements is not one of the eight?

A)Oxygen
B)Hydrogen
C)Iron
D)Potassium

Question 27

What are the two groups of feldspar minerals called?

A)Microcline and orthoclase
B)Potassium feldspar and plagioclase
C)Sodium and calcium
D)Albite and anorthite

Question 28

A(n)________ is a silicate structure where no silica tetrahedra share any oxygen ions.

A)single chain
B)double chain
C)framework
D)independent

Question 29

What is the mineral name for table salt?

A)Halite
B)Calcite
C)Dolomite
D)Gypsum

Question 30

________ states that the angles between equivalent faces of crystals of the same mineral are always the same.

A)The law of conservation of mass
B)The law of constancy of interfacial angles
C)The law of superposition
D)The law of opposite interior angles

Question 31

Which negative ion forms the basis of the oxide minerals?

A)F^-
B)Cl^-
C)O₂^2-
D)S^-

Question 32

Which group of silicate minerals has two planes of cleavage that are oriented at approximately 60° and 120°?

A)Pyroxenes
B)Potassium Feldspars
C)Amphiboles
D)Galena

Question 33

Which intermediary helps to break down minerals into a form digestible by humans?

A)Meteorites
B)Rocks
C)Plants
D)Gravel

Question 34

Ferromagnesian minerals are those that contain a great deal of ________.

A)manganese and iron
B)potassium and aluminum
C)magnesium and iron
D)calcium and silicon

Question 35

Which ions-positive ions or negative ions-tend to be larger and why?

A)Positive ions because they have more protons
B)Positive ions because they have more electrons
C)Negative ions because they have more neutrons
D)Negative ions because they have more electrons

Question 36

Which kind of mineral tenacity refers to a mineral being deformed by being hammered without breaking?

A)Malleable
B)Sectile
C)Fibrous
D)Elastic

Question 37

What is the best method to distinguish between muscovite mica and biotite mica?

A)Cleavage
B)Color
C)Hardness
D)Streak

Question 38

Conchoidal fractures are indicative of the mineral ________.

A)muscovite
B)quartz
C)fluorite
D)pyroxene

Question 39

One defining characteristic of minerals is that they are found in a solid state in nature.Which of the following minerals is an exception to this rule, naturally occurring in a liquid state at room temperature?

A)Diamond
B)Ice
C)Carbon
D)Calcite

Question 40

Silica tetrahedra are able to link into long chains that share oxygen ions through the process of ________.

A)isolation
B)precipitation
C)fission
D)polymerization

Question 41

A(n)________ is the fundamental particle of matter.

A)electron
B)mineral
C)nucleus
D)atom

Question 42

Explain how differences in molecular bonds in minerals can result in cleavage versus fracture.

Question 43

A rock can be composed of almost entirely one mineral.

Question 44

Consider the definition of a mineral.Why would a synthetic gemstone fail this definition and not be considered a true mineral?

Question 45

Color is a reliable identification technique for minerals.

Question 46

Which of the following rocks is composed of only a single mineral?

A)Limestone
B)Granite
C)Conglomerate
D)Gabbro

Question 47

Quartz has only one color.

Question 48

A geode contains minerals that form through biological processes.

Question 49

Which of the following materials will form through evaporation?

A)Feldspars
B)Geodes
C)Salt
D)Limestone

Question 50

The more oxygen ions that are shared in silicate minerals, the higher the oxygen-to-silicon ratio.

Question 51

All minerals have cleavage.

Question 52

Graphite and diamonds are polymorphs because both are made up of carbon atoms.

Question 53

Ferromagnesian minerals have a higher specific gravity than nonferromagnesian minerals.

Question 54

You have a solution of salt dissolved in water.Why might a drop in temperature result in the dissolved minerals precipitating out of solution?

Question 55

Mineral species can be further subdivided into ________.

A)mineral classes
B)mineraloids
C)evaporites
D)varieties

Question 56

Polymorphs are minerals that will have two identical mineral structures, but different chemical compositions.

Question 57

There can be no variation of mineral composition in order for the substance to remain the same mineral.

Question 58

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is found over large areas of the United States.Using this information, explain what the environment of deposition was like at the time of limestone formation and how the mineral in the limestone formed?

Question 59

If there are over 100 elements on the periodic table of elements, it would stand to reason that there would be millions of ways these elements could combine to form minerals.However, there are only 4000 named minerals.Why might there be so few minerals on Earth when there are so many possible combinations?

Question 60

What is the significance of valence electrons in connection to mineral formation?

Question 61

Assuming well-formed crystals, how many cleavage surfaces are present on the sample in this image? (Note: Cleavage surfaces are not cleavage planes.)

Question 62

Write a simple chemical formula showing how the component elements of the silicate ion affect its net charge.

Question 63

Using the samples in this image, indicate the number of cleavage directions this crystal displays.(Please note that cleavage surfaces do not equate to cleavage directions.)

Question 64

Describe how magnesium can be exchanged for iron in olivine without destroying the internal framework of the mineral.

Question 65

Certain diamond companies use the advertising slogan "Diamonds are forever." Why, from a geologic perspective, might this not be accurate?

Question 66

Restricted ocean basins located in warm climates will experience high rates of evaporation, which will result in the creation of evaporate minerals such as gypsum or halite.When such a solution containing dissolved mineral matter evaporates, why does the mineral matter precipitate instead of evaporating with the water?

Question 67

Assuming well-formed crystals, how many cleavage surfaces are present on the sample in this image? (Note: Cleavage surfaces are not cleavage planes.)

Question 68

If concrete is made by mixing cement with gravels and sands, is concrete a rock? Why or why not?

Question 69

Using the samples in this image, indicate the number of cleavage directions this crystal displays.(Please note that cleavage surfaces do not equate to cleavage directions.)

Question 70

Students new to mineral identification often confuse shiny, dark-colored nonmetallic minerals for those minerals with a metallic luster.Explain how streak can be useful for telling these minerals apart.

Question 71

Which of the following substances is not a mineral: gold, water, ice? Why?

Question 72

Using the cleavage planes and shapes in this image, list one mineral example for each crystal.

Question 73

Two unknown minerals are placed before you for identification.You decide to test each mineral's hardness.Mineral A will scratch a piece of glass.Mineral B will not.Which mineral is harder? How do they compare to the specific hardness of the glass?

Question 74

Why do atoms exchange or share electrons?