Deck 3: Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Question 1

The internal ordering of mineral crystals can be detected using ________.

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

Answer 1

B

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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 3

A

Question 4

The mineral calcite is in the ________ mineral class.

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

Question 5

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

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

Question 6

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 7

The framework silicates are the most complicated because they ________.

A)contain silica tetrahedral
B)have crystal lattices
C)produce flat sheets
D)share all four oxygen

Question 8

Calcite (CaCO₃)is in which mineral class?

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

Question 9

Which of the following is a mineral?

A)granite
B)cubic zirconia
C)salt dissolved in water
D)calcite

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a mineral?

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

Question 11

The ________ class of minerals contains the anion S⁻².

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

Question 12

Potassium feldspar (KAlSi₃O₈)is in which mineral class?

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

Question 13

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

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

Question 14

The ________ class of minerals includes a substance commonly known as rust.

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

Question 15

The silicates are broken into several groups based on the way the silica tetrahedral are ________.

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

Question 16

Which of the following is a mineral?

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

Question 17

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

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

Question 18

The ________ class of minerals are very good conductors due to the ability of the electrons in the atoms to move around.

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

Question 19

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)

Question 20

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 21

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 22

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 23

The color of a mineral in powdered form is termed ________.

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

Question 24

Fewer than 50 minerals on Earth are ________.

A)found on other planets
B)used for industrial purposes
C)found in the crust
D)commonly found in rocks

Question 25

Which layer of Earth does NOT contain silicates?

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

Question 26

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

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

Question 27

The mantle is composed almost entirely of the mineral class ________.

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

Question 28

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 29

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

A)Mass
B)Specific gravity
C)Luster
D)Streak

Question 30

Which of the following common minerals is softest?

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

Question 31

Which of the following minerals is a silicate?

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

Question 32

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

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

Question 33

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

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

Question 34

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 35

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 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

Pyrite (FeS₂)is in which mineral class?

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

Question 40

The major rock-forming minerals fall into the ________ mineral class.

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

Question 41

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

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

Question 42

Diamonds are usually found in ________.

A)graphite
B)kimberlite
C)metamorphic rocks
D)sedimentary rocks

Question 43

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.

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

Question 44

Diamond is a polymorph of graphite.What is a polymorph,and explain how a piece of graphite could be turned into a diamond by geologic processes.

Question 45

Why are diamonds used in saw blades not nearly as expensive as diamonds used in jewelry?

A)They are neither rare nor beautiful.
B)They are beautiful but very common.
C)They are actually man-made diamonds.
D)They are the cuttings from gems.

Question 46

Which of the following is considered a gem?

A)clay
B)feldspar
C)garnet
D)gold

Question 47

Draw and label a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron.

Question 48

Which common gemstone results from biomineralization?

A)diamond
B)garnet
C)pearl
D)sapphire

Question 49

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

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 diamond.

Question 50

Which of the images below shows a gem?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D

Question 51

Explain why a cubic zirconia is NOT a mineral.

Question 52

A facet is a ________ on a gem.

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

Question 53

Some physical properties are more useful for 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 54

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

Question 55

For the majority of 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