Earth Materials: Minerals

Learning Targets

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of minerals?

• Organic origin

• Definite chemical composition

• Crystalline structure

• Naturally occurring

Multiple Choice

What is the hardest naturally occurring mineral on the Mohs scale?

• Quartz

• Talc

• Diamond

• Feldspar

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a good characteristic used to identify minerals?

• Hardness

• Color

• Density

• Luster

Multiple Choice

What property of minerals refers to the way light interacts with their surface?

• Cleavage

• Fracture

• Streak

• Luster

Multiple Choice

Which term describes the tendency of minerals to break along specific planes?

• Cleavage

• Fracture

• Hardness

• Tenacity

Multiple Choice

What is the term for the color of a mineral when it is powdered?

• Streak

• Hue

• Tint

• Shade

Multiple Choice

What term describes a mineral's resistance to bending, breaking, or being deformed?

• Cleavage

• Fracture

• Hardness

• Tenacity

Multiple Choice

Which property describes the weight of a mineral relative to its volume?

• Cleavage

• Density

• Luster

• Streak

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best defines a mineral?

• Any naturally occurring substance found on Earth's surface.

• Any inorganic substance with a crystalline structure and a specific chemical composition.

• Any substance formed through biological processes.

• Any solid substance with a metallic luster.

Multiple Choice

What distinguishes minerals from rocks?

• Minerals are always organic, while rocks are inorganic.

• Minerals are composed of one or more elements, while rocks are composed of minerals.

• Minerals are formed only through volcanic activity, while rocks are formed through weathering and erosion.

• Minerals have a random arrangement of atoms, while rocks have an ordered crystalline structure.