Question 1

A mineral's is produced by its ability to transmit light. Opaque minerals always have a luster because they________ light.

Accepted Answer

A)  nonmetallic; transmit 
B)  metallic; transmit 
C)  metallic; do not transmit 
D)  nonmetallic; do not transmit 
A)  nonmetallic; transmit 
B)  metallic; transmit 
C)  metallic; do not transmit 
D)  nonmetallic; do not transmit

Question 2

What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?

Accepted Answer

A)  muscovite 
B)  silicate 
C)  native gold 
D)  diamond 
A)  muscovite 
B)  silicate 
C)  native gold 
D)  diamond

Question 3

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

Accepted Answer

A)  water 
B)  helium gas 
C)  coal 
D)  rock salt 
A)  water 
B)  helium gas 
C)  coal 
D)  rock salt

Question 4

Which of the following describes the light reflecting and transmission characteristics of a mineral?

Accepted Answer

A)  luster 
B)  fluorescence 
C)  color streak 
D)  virtual absorption 
A)  luster 
B)  fluorescence 
C)  color streak 
D)  virtual absorption

Question 5

Dark silicates have a specific gravity of 3.2 to 3.6 and are composed primarily of silica tetrahedral and____________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  aluminum and sodium 
B)  iron and magnesium 
C)  aluminum and magnesium 
D)  potassium and iron 
E)  potassium and calcium 
A)  aluminum and sodium 
B)  iron and magnesium 
C)  aluminum and magnesium 
D)  potassium and iron 
E)  potassium and calcium

Question 6

Why do the minerals calcite and dolomite bubble with the mineral or its powder are placed in hydrochloric acid?

Accepted Answer

A)  Both minerals are metal hydrides, and when placed in hydrochloric acid they give off hydrogen gas. 
B)  Both minerals are sulfides, and the acid reacts to release sulfur dioxide gas. 
C)  The acid reacts with the mineral to release CO2 gas that is bound into the crystal as carbonate ion. 
D)  The acid and the mineral together react with oxygen in the air, releasing CO2 gas. 
A)  Both minerals are metal hydrides, and when placed in hydrochloric acid they give off hydrogen gas. 
B)  Both minerals are sulfides, and the acid reacts to release sulfur dioxide gas. 
C)  The acid reacts with the mineral to release CO2 gas that is bound into the crystal as carbonate ion. 
D)  The acid and the mineral together react with oxygen in the air, releasing CO2 gas.

Question 7

Which of the following is not a criterion for defining something as a mineral?

Accepted Answer

A)  naturally occurring 
B)  generally inorganic 
C)  orderly crystalline structure 
D)  hard 
A)  naturally occurring 
B)  generally inorganic 
C)  orderly crystalline structure 
D)  hard

Question 8

When a mineral fractures along a cleavage plane, what does this suggest about the crystal structure of the mineral?

Accepted Answer

A)  The crystal grows only planar faces that become weak zones that form cleavage. 
B)  The crystal contains warped planes called twin planes that weaken the crystal structure and allow it fracture along a planar surface, causing cleavage. 
C)  The atoms are arranged in a simple orderly arrangement with uniform bonding. 
D)  The crystal structure contains planes along which chemical bonding is much weaker than other directions. 
A)  The crystal grows only planar faces that become weak zones that form cleavage. 
B)  The crystal contains warped planes called twin planes that weaken the crystal structure and allow it fracture along a planar surface, causing cleavage. 
C)  The atoms are arranged in a simple orderly arrangement with uniform bonding. 
D)  The crystal structure contains planes along which chemical bonding is much weaker than other directions.

Question 9

Why are boulders not a mineral?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are organic. 
B)  They are not naturally occurring. 
C)  They are not solid. 
D)  They do not have an orderly crystalline structure. 
E)  They do not have a well- defined chemical composition. 
A)  They are organic. 
B)  They are not naturally occurring. 
C)  They are not solid. 
D)  They do not have an orderly crystalline structure. 
E)  They do not have a well- defined chemical composition.

Question 10

Gold is one of the rarest elements in the universe, yet it is extracted from ores on Earth. How is this possible?

Accepted Answer

Gold does not bond with other elements a

Question 11

Below is a picture of the enormous Bingham Canyon copper mine in Utah. What is the reason that the mine is so large?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is unknown if any copper underlies this deposit, so miners must continue to dig to find it. 
B)  Copper is economically valuable even in small quantities, so it is considered to be worth creating a large hole to extract as much as possible. 
C)  Copper exists in abundant quantities, so miners are trying to extract as much as possible. 
D)  The mine is the only location on Earth where copper is found, so the hole needs to be large. 
A)  It is unknown if any copper underlies this deposit, so miners must continue to dig to find it. 
B)  Copper is economically valuable even in small quantities, so it is considered to be worth creating a large hole to extract as much as possible. 
C)  Copper exists in abundant quantities, so miners are trying to extract as much as possible. 
D)  The mine is the only location on Earth where copper is found, so the hole needs to be large.

Question 12

In 1960 the largest gold producer was South Africa. Now it is____________ .

Accepted Answer

A)  Russia 
B)  China 
C)  India 
D)  Brazil 
A)  Russia 
B)  China 
C)  India 
D)  Brazil

Question 13

What is true of three- dimensional networks of silicates?

Accepted Answer

A)  they form sheets 
B)  they form complex masses 
C)  they are bonded equally strong in all directions 
D)  they tend to be separate tetrahedral units 
A)  they form sheets 
B)  they form complex masses 
C)  they are bonded equally strong in all directions 
D)  they tend to be separate tetrahedral units

Question 14

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

Accepted Answer

A)  cubic 
B)  amorphous 
C)  bladed 
D)  tabular 
A)  cubic 
B)  amorphous 
C)  bladed 
D)  tabular

Question 15

Atoms are ________ to be seen with an optical microscope.

Accepted Answer

A)  just barely large enough 
B)  too small 
C)  too large 
D)  too weak 
A)  just barely large enough 
B)  too small 
C)  too large 
D)  too weak

A mineral's is produced by its ability to transmit light. Opaque minerals always have a luster because they________ light.

What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

Which of the following describes the light reflecting and transmission characteristics of a mineral?

Dark silicates have a specific gravity of 3.2 to 3.6 and are composed primarily of silica tetrahedral and____________ .

Why do the minerals calcite and dolomite bubble with the mineral or its powder are placed in hydrochloric acid?

Which of the following is not a criterion for defining something as a mineral?

When a mineral fractures along a cleavage plane, what does this suggest about the crystal structure of the mineral?

Why are boulders not a mineral?

Gold is one of the rarest elements in the universe, yet it is extracted from ores on Earth. How is this possible?

Below is a picture of the enormous Bingham Canyon copper mine in Utah. What is the reason that the mine is so large?

In 1960 the largest gold producer was South Africa. Now it is____________ .

What is true of three- dimensional networks of silicates?

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

Atoms are ________ to be seen with an optical microscope.

Introduction to Earth Science

Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

Running Water and Groundwater

Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind

Geologic Time

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

The Ocean Floor

Ocean Water and Ocean Life

The Dynamic Ocean

The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature

Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

Air Pressure and Wind

Weather Patterns and Severe Storms

World Climates and Global Climate Change

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Touring Our Solar System

Light, Telescopes, and the Sun

Beyond Our Solar System

Filters

Exam 2: Matter and Minerals

A mineral's is produced by its ability to transmit light. Opaque minerals always have a luster because they________ light.

What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

Which of the following describes the light reflecting and transmission characteristics of a mineral?

Dark silicates have a specific gravity of 3.2 to 3.6 and are composed primarily of silica tetrahedral and____________ .

Why do the minerals calcite and dolomite bubble with the mineral or its powder are placed in hydrochloric acid?

Which of the following is not a criterion for defining something as a mineral?

When a mineral fractures along a cleavage plane, what does this suggest about the crystal structure of the mineral?

Why are boulders not a mineral?

Gold is one of the rarest elements in the universe, yet it is extracted from ores on Earth. How is this possible?

Below is a picture of the enormous Bingham Canyon copper mine in Utah. What is the reason that the mine is so large?

In 1960 the largest gold producer was South Africa. Now it is____________ .

What is true of three- dimensional networks of silicates?

Examine the words and/or phrases below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option that does not fit the pattern.

Atoms are ________ to be seen with an optical microscope.

Introduction to Earth Science

Rocks: Materials of the Solid Earth

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Volcanoes and Other Igneous Activity

Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Weathering, Soil, and Mass Movement

Running Water and Groundwater

Glaciers, Deserts, and Wind

Geologic Time

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

The Ocean Floor

Ocean Water and Ocean Life

The Dynamic Ocean

The Atmosphere: Composition, Structure, and Temperature

Moisture, Clouds, and Precipitation

Air Pressure and Wind

Weather Patterns and Severe Storms

World Climates and Global Climate Change

Origins of Modern Astronomy

Touring Our Solar System

Light, Telescopes, and the Sun

Beyond Our Solar System

Filters