Lesson Minerals

Multiple Choice

What is the maximum depth geologists have drilled into the Earth to collect rock samples?

• 5 kilometers

• 8 kilometers

• 12.3 kilometers

• 15 kilometers

Multiple Choice

Volcanoes bring rocks to the surface. True or False?

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Rocks provide clues about how ______ and energy flow.

• matter

• water

• air

• light

Multiple Choice

What type of waves travel through both solids and liquids?

• S-waves

• P-waves

• T-waves

• Q-waves

Multiple Choice

S-waves only travel through ______.

• liquids

• gases

• solids

• plasma

Multiple Choice

What forms Earth's outer layer?

• Mantle

• Crust

• Core

• Atmosphere

Multiple Choice

The main elements in the Earth's crust are ______ and oxygen.

• Carbon

• Hydrogen

• Silicon

• Nitrogen

Multiple Choice

Which type of crust is thinnest beneath the ocean floor?

• Continental Crust

• Oceanic Crust

Multiple Choice

The continental crust is thickest under what geographical feature?

• Deserts

• Plains

• High mountains

• Valleys

Multiple Choice

What is the Earth's mantle primarily composed of?

• Magnesium and iron

• Silicon and oxygen

• Carbon and nitrogen

• Hydrogen and helium

Multiple Choice

The lithosphere contains the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. It is a type of rock that is strong, hard, and ____.

• Soft

• Brittle

• Flexible

• Liquid

Multiple Choice

Which part of the mantle is described as being able to bend like a metal spoon?

• Lithosphere

• Asthenosphere

• Lower Mantle

• Outer Core

Multiple Choice

The lower mantle is located below which part of the mantle?

• Lithosphere

• Crust

• Asthenosphere

• Outer Core

Multiple Choice

What is the thickness of the Earth's outer core?

• 1,220 km

• 2,260 km

• 3,480 km

• 4,560 km

Multiple Choice

The Earth's inner core is a dense ball of solid metal. It mainly consists of iron and nickel and has a radius of ______.

• 1,220 km

• 2,260 km

• 3,480 km

• 4,560 km

Multiple Choice

What is a form of energy that flows and transfers matter?

• Light

• Heat

• Sound

• Electricity

Multiple Choice

Heat from the core drives ______ currents.

• Conduction

• Radiation

• Convection

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a characteristic of minerals?

• A) Formed by natural processes

• B) Always liquid

• C) Part of living things

• D) No definite shape

Multiple Choice

Minerals have a _______ structure where particles are lined up in repeating patterns.

• Random

• Crystal

• Liquid

• Gas

Multiple Choice

What does 'Definite Chemical Composition' mean in the context of minerals?

• Contains different elements in varying proportions

• Always contains the same elements in the same proportions

• Changes composition frequently

• Composed of living organisms.

Multiple Choice

What is the term used to describe how light reflects from a mineral?

• Color

• Streak

• Luster

• Cleavage & Fracture

Multiple Choice

The streak of a mineral is the color of its ______.

• Surface

• Powder

• Core

• Edge

Multiple Choice

Which of the following describes how a mineral breaks?

• Color

• Streak

• Luster

• Cleavage & Fracture

Multiple Choice

What is the characteristic of each mineral that is calculated by mass divided by volume?

• Hardness

• Density

• Crystal Structure

• Special Properties

Multiple Choice

All of the crystals of a mineral have the same ________.

• Density

• Hardness

• Crystal Structure

• Special Properties

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a special property of minerals?

• Ability to bend light

• Conduct electricity

• Glow

• Taste

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of organic mineral formation?

• Crystallization

• Formation of skeletons

• Cooling of lava

• Evaporation of water

Multiple Choice

Minerals from solutions are formed when elements dissolved in water form solutions and the water ________.

• A) freezes

• B) evaporates

• C) condenses

• D) boils

Multiple Choice

What determines the size of crystals formed from magma and lava?

• The type of minerals

• The rate of cooling

• The color of lava

• The depth of magma

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements is true about mineral formation? A) Graphite and diamond are both made of silicon. B) A change in temperature or pressure can alter one mineral into a new mineral. C) Diamonds form under low temperature and pressure. D) Graphite is made of diamond.

• Graphite and diamond are both made of silicon.

• A change in temperature or pressure can alter one mineral into a new mineral.

• Diamonds form under low temperature and pressure.

• Graphite is made of diamond.

Multiple Choice

Fill in the blank: Graphite and diamond are both made of ______.

• Silicon

• Oxygen

• Carbon

• Hydrogen

Multiple Choice

What does a light-colored rock indicate about its mineral composition?

• High in silica and oxygen

• Low in silica and oxygen

• High in iron

• Low in iron

Multiple Choice

Fill in the blank: The origin of a rock describes how it formed. The three main types of rock origins are igneous, sedimentary, and ________.

• Metamorphic

• Volcanic

• Crystalline

• Organic

Multiple Choice

Which of the following terms is used by scientists to describe the texture of a rock?

• Color

• Size, shape, and pattern of the grains

• Mineral composition

• Origin

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of an extrusive igneous rock?

• Granite

• Diorite

• Basalt

• Gabbro

Multiple Choice

Intrusive igneous rocks are formed when magma hardens beneath Earth's surface. True or False?

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Fill in the blank: Extrusive igneous rocks have a _______ texture because crystals cool rapidly.

• Fine-grained

• Coarse-grained

• Glassy

• Porous

Multiple Choice

What is the first step in the formation of sedimentary rocks?

• Transportation

• Weathering & Erosion

• Deposition

• Cementation

Multiple Choice

In the process of forming sedimentary rocks, what happens during the 'Compaction' stage?

• Sediment settles into layers

• Eroded material is moved by wind and water

• The layers of sediment are squeezed and compacted under the weight above

• Dissolved minerals glue sediment together.

Multiple Choice

Sedimentary rocks form when small particles of rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and ________ together.

• glued

• cemented

• compacted

• eroded

Multiple Choice

What are metamorphic rocks?

• Rocks formed by cooling magma

• Rocks changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions

• Rocks formed from sediment

• Rocks that contain fossils.

Multiple Choice

Foliated metamorphic rocks have grains arranged in ______.

• Random patterns

• Parallel layers or bands

• Circular patterns

• No specific order

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of a nonfoliated metamorphic rock?

• Gneiss

• Slate

• Marble

• Schist

Multiple Choice

What is the source of energy that affects the formation of rocks?

• Wind

• Water

• Heat from the sun or Earth's interior

• Electricity

Multiple Choice

The energy that drives the formation of rocks comes in the form of ______.

• Light

• Sound

• Heat from the sun or Earth's interior

• Magnetism

Multiple Choice

What is the rock cycle?

• A) A series of processes that occur on Earth's surface and in the crust and mantle that change rock from one kind to another.

• B) A process that only occurs in the ocean.

• C) A cycle that involves only the atmosphere.

• D) A process that does not involve rocks.

Multiple Choice

Fill in the blank: The rock cycle is a series of processes that occur on Earth's surface and in the _______ and mantle.

• ocean

• crust

• atmosphere

• core

Multiple Choice

Which process is responsible for the formation of sediments?

• Melting

• Weathering & Erosion

• Cooling

• Heat and Pressure

Multiple Choice

Sedimentary rocks are formed by _________.

• Cooling

• Compaction & Cementation

• Melting

• Heat and Pressure

Multiple Choice

What type of rocks are formed by heat and pressure?

• Igneous

• Sedimentary

• Metamorphic

• Magma

Multiple Choice

Which of the following drives the rock cycle in part?

• Ocean currents

• Plate tectonics

• Wind erosion

• Solar radiation

Multiple Choice

As the plates move, they carry the continents and ______ with them.

• mountains

• ocean floor

• rivers

• deserts

Multiple Choice

What happens when oceanic plates move apart?

• A) Mountains form

• B) Magma moves upward and fills the gap with new igneous rock

• C) Earthquakes occur

• D) Rivers change course