Deck 3: Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Question 1

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

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).

Answer 1

D

Question 2

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

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

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Potassium feldspar (KAlSi₃O₈) is in which mineral class?

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true about minerals?

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 5

Natural glass is NOT considered a mineral because it

A)is not produced by geologic processes.
B)is organic.
C)does not have a fixed crystalline structure.
D)can be made synthetically as well as be a naturally occurring substance.

Question 6

The internal ordering of mineral crystals can be detected using

A)magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
B)X-ray diffraction (XRD).
C)a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
D)cathodized axial tomography (CAT).

Question 7

Minerals are grouped into mineral classes primarily on a basis of

A)chemistry, specifically the cations within the chemical formula.
B)chemistry, specifically the anions within the chemical formula.
C)hardness; hard, soft, and medium are the three primary classes.
D)the number of cleavage directions present.

Question 8

The __________ class of minerals contains the anion Sᶜ.

A)oxides
B)halides
C)sulfides
D)sulfates

Question 9

Calcite (CaCO₃) is in which mineral class?

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

Question 10

The silicates are broken into several groups based on the way silica tetrahedra are

A)bonded to anions.
B)bonded to iron atoms.
C)arranged and bonded.
D)arranged and charged

Question 11

The __________ class of minerals includes a substance commonly known as table salt.

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

Question 12

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

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

Question 13

Which of the following is a mineral?

A)granite
B)lab-grown quartz crystal
C)salt dissolved in water
D)calcite

Question 14

Carbon-containing compounds that either occur in living organisms or resemble compounds in living organisms are called

A)organic compounds.
B)minerals.
C)crystals.
D)atoms.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a mineral?

A)quartz
B)diamond
C)petroleum
D)gold

Question 16

Which class of minerals is highly conductive because of metallic bonding?

A)native metals
B)sulfides
C)silicates
D)carbonates

Question 17

The mineral olivine is in the __________ mineral class.

A)sulfate
B)carbonate
C)silicate
D)oxide

Question 18

Which of the following is a mineral?

A)petroleum (oil), a liquid
B)cubic zirconia (a synthetic diamond substitute)
C)ice (water in the solid state)
D)obsidian (volcanic glass)

Question 19

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

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

Question 20

Pyrite (FeS₂) is in which mineral class?

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

Question 21

Which of the following common minerals is softest?

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

Question 22

The image below shows a mineral specimen of quartz. What is the term for the smoothly curving, clamshell-shaped surface on the sample below?

A)conchoidal fracture
B)facet
C)cleavage plane
D)striation

Question 23

The color of a mineral in powdered form is termed

A)color.
B)specific gravity.
C)luster.
D)streak.

Question 24

The mineral class that makes up more than 95% of rocks in the continental crust is termed the

A)silicates.
B)carbonates.
C)halides.
D)oxides.

Question 25

In which type of silicate are the greatest proportion of oxygen atoms shared by pairs of adjacent tetrahedra?

A)chain silicates
B)framework silicates
C)sheet silicates
D)Sharing of oxygen atoms does not occur in silicates.

Question 26

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

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 27

Cleavage in minerals refers to

A)a tendency to break in an irregular pattern.
B)a tendency to break along planes of weakness.
C)the sharpness of edges between crystal faces.
D)the development of well-formed crystal faces.

Question 28

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

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

Question 29

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

A)melting.
B)being scratched.
C)reactivity to acid.
D)malleability.

Question 30

The mantle is composed almost entirely of the mineral class

A)silicates.
B)oxides.
C)halides.
D)sulfates

Question 31

Which of the following minerals is a silicate?

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

Question 32

The image below shows a mineral with hydrochloric acid applied to it. What mineral is this?

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

Question 33

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

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

Question 34

A __________ is a mineral-lined cavity in a rock.

A)crystal
B)geode
C)Mohs cavity
D)precipitate

Question 35

Minerals that grow around volcanic vents MOST likely form by

A)solidification from a melt.
B)diffusion in a solid.
C)biomineralization.
D)precipitation from a gas.

Question 36

Ore minerals, such as galena, tend to be different from typical minerals (such as quartz) in that they have a

A)very dark color.
B)diamond-like crystal habit.
C)large specific gravity.
D)vitreous luster.

Question 37

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

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

Question 38

Which layer of Earth does NOT contain silicate minerals?

A)oceanic crust
B)upper mantle
C)outer core
D)continental crust

Question 39

Synthetically made glass and natural quartz crystals both exhibit a fracture pattern termed

A)glassy fracture.
B)conchoidal fracture.
C)one-directional cleavage.
D)obtuse fracture.

Question 40

A mineral property defined by the density of the mineral sample divided by the density of water (1.0 g/cm³) is

A)mass.
B)specific gravity.
C)luster.
D)streak.

Question 41

What are cleavage and fracture? How are these physical properties similar? How are they different?

Question 42

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

Question 43

Some physical properties are more useful for identifying certain minerals than others. Explain how color can be useful to identify some minerals but not others. Be sure to use mineral examples in your answer.

Question 44

What type of rock forms by the solidification of a melt?

A)igneous
B)metamorphic
C)sedimentary
D)biologic

Question 45

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

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

Question 46

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

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

Question 47

What is the definition of a rock?

Question 48

Draw and label a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron.

Question 49

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

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

Question 50

A facet is a __________ on a gem.

A)polished surface
B)cleavage plane
C)small impurity
D)crystal face

Question 51

How are sedimentary rocks different from igneous rocks?

Question 52

Describe some examples of minerals that can be harmful and the hazards they pose.

Question 53

Diamonds are usually found in

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

Question 54

Which of the following forms either by the cementing together of grains broken off preexisting rocks or by the precipitation of mineral crystals out of water solutions at or near the Earth's surface?

A)igneous rocks
B)sedimentary rocks
C)metamorphic rocks
D)meteorites

Question 55

Why are minerals sometimes referred to as "the building blocks of Earth"?

Question 56

Explain why a cubic zirconia is NOT a mineral.

Question 57

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

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 58

What type of rock forms when preexisting rocks undergo changes in response to a modification of their environment, without first melting?

A)igneous rocks
B)sedimentary rocks
C)metamorphic rocks
D)meteorites

Question 59

What are the ways a mineral can crystallize in nature? List and explain.