Deck 3: Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Question 1

Minerals in geodes (as seen below)form spectacular euhedral crystals because

A) all of the elements incorporated in the crystals are in plentiful supply.
B) the crystals have abundant room to grow in their hollow surroundings.
C) minerals within geodes are always framework silicates.
D) minerals within geodes always contain iron.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

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) pseudomorphs.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

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

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

Answer 3

C

Question 4

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.

Question 5

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

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

Question 6

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 7

What is solid-state diffusion?

A) cooling of a liquid and turning it into a solid
B) movement of atoms through a solid to form a new mineral
C) bonding of dissolved ions into a solid crystal
D) growth of a mineral within or adjacent to a living organism

Question 8

Of the ~4,000 known minerals,the vast majority ___________

A) are common.
B) are rare.
C) form only near volcanoes.
D) are characterized as gems.

Question 9

Which of the following are good conductors due to the ability of the electrons in the atoms to move around freely?

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

Question 10

We distinguish between a mineral and a naturally formed glass (such as obsidian)because

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

Question 11

Crystals that exhibit well-formed faces are referred to as

A) pristine.
B) anhedral.
C) subhedral.
D) euhedral.

Question 12

Which tool is used to detect the pattern of atoms in a crystal?

A) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
B) X-ray diffraction
C) thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS)
D) cathodized axial tomography (CAT)

Question 13

Fewer than 50 minerals are ___________

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

Question 14

Diamond and graphite are both polymorphs of

A) silicon.
B) iron.
C) magnesium.
D) carbon.

Question 15

The atomic mass of an element approximately equals the number of

A) electrons.
B) protons plus neutrons.
C) neutrons.
D) protons.

Question 16

The atomic number of an element corresponds to the __________

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

Question 17

Which of the following describes the process of mineral dissolution?

A) heating to a temperature where bonds between atoms break
B) reacting minerals with reagents to form new minerals
C) immersing in water such that atoms or ions separate from crystal faces
D) breaking apart bonds to release chemical energy for microbes

Question 18

Where is the most recently formed portion of any crystal always found?

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 19

The angles between adjacent crystal faces of the same type of mineral _______

A) are always the same.
B) vary widely among different specimens of the mineral.
C) depend on the size of the crystal.
D) are 90° for every type of mineral.

Question 20

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

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

Question 21

The shape of single crystals or aggregates of many well-formed crystals is known as:

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

Question 22

Using the Mohs hardness scale below,which of the following statements about the actual hardness of minerals 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 will scratch anything made of steel.

Question 23

A mineral property defined as 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 24

Minerals are grouped into mineral classes primarily on the 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 25

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 26

If a mineral lacks cleavage,it will

A) break along planar surfaces with specific orientations.
B) break along irregular or conchoidal fractures.
C) not break apart unless melted.
D) not break apart unless dissolved.

Question 27

Crystal habit,such as needle-like,platy,or cubic,depends on _________

A) the color of the mineral's streak.
B) the class the mineral belongs to.
C) the wavelength of light reflected off the mineral surface.
D) the mineral's growth rate in different directions.

Question 28

Silicate minerals are subdivided into six 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 29

Which of the following common minerals is softest?

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

Question 30

SiO₄^4-,S^2-,and CO₃^2- are all examples of

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

Question 31

The way a mineral scatters light is a diagnostic property termed

A) color.
B) reflectivity.
C) luster.
D) streak.

Question 32

The image below shows a mineral with hydrochloric acid applied to it.Based on the reaction and presence of gas bubbles,which of the following minerals is the most likely to be _______?

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

Question 33

The tendency for minerals to break along distinct planar surfaces that have a specific orientation in relation to the crystal structure is called

A) fracture.
B) cleavage.
C) specific gravity.
D) hardness.

Question 34

On the Mohs hardness scale,quartz has a hardness of 7 and calcite has a hardness of 3.This means that _______.

A) calcite can scratch quartz
B) quartz is four times harder than calcite
C) calcite is four times harder than quartz
D) quartz can scratch calcite

Question 35

Which of the following common minerals is hardest?

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

Question 36

The image below shows a mineral specimen of mica.How many planes of cleavage does mica possess?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) many

Question 37

______ is a common mineral that can come in different colors,such as clear,milky,rose,and amethyst.

A) Pyrite
B) Halite
C) Quartz
D) Talc

Question 38

Hardness refers to a mineral's ability to resist

A) breaking.
B) being scratched.
C) chemically reacting with other substances.
D) weathering.

Question 39

The color of a mineral in powdered form is termed

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

Question 40

Glass and quartz crystals exhibit a smoothly curving,clamshell-shaped fracture pattern termed

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

Question 41

Which common gemstone results from biomineralization?

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

Question 42

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

Question 43

Diamond is a polymorph of graphite.What is a polymorph,and explain how graphite is different from a diamond.

Question 44

Gemstones are often 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 45

The gems sapphire and ruby are two varieties of the mineral corundum (Al₂O₃).Considering the Mohs hardness of corundum,which mineral listed below would be able to scratch the gems sapphire and ruby?

A) quartz
B) feldspar
C) topaz
D) diamond

Question 46

How are diamonds formed?

Question 47

What type of silicate is the mineral quartz?

A) chain silicate
B) framework silicate
C) sheet silicate
D) ring silicate.

Question 48

In silicate minerals,the SiO₄ tetrahedron can be linked together by sharing:

A) silicon atoms.
B) cations.
C) electrons.
D) oxygen atoms.

Question 49

Draw and label the atoms in a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron.

Question 50

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 51

What type of silicate is the mineral mica?

A) chain silicate
B) framework silicate
C) sheet silicate
D) ring silicate

Question 52

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

Question 53

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

Question 54

Some physical properties are more useful for certain minerals than others.Explain how color alone may fail to identify some minerals.

Question 55

Pyrite (FeS₂)is in which mineral class?

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

Question 56

Which classes do the common minerals quartz and calcite belong to? What are some of the properties that would distinguish quartz from calcite?

Question 57

Diamonds are usually found in a rock called

A) graphite.
B) kimberlite.
C) gabbro.
D) diorite.

Question 58

How are minerals classified? List the major classes of minerals and their pertinent anions.

Question 59

Based on the definition of a mineral,explain why a diamond created in a laboratory is not considered a mineral.

Question 60

Calcite (CaCO₃)is in which mineral class?

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