Rocks, Minerals, and Soils Review

You dig a small hole in the soil and the next day it rains. The hole fills with water, but does not empty even after several days of dry weather. What is the soil mostly made of?

• clay
• sand
• humus
• silt

Which type of soil drains the slowest?

• silt
• clay
• sand
• loam

The texture of soil depends mainly on

• the types of plants that grow in the soil.
• the size of the particles in the soil.
• the color of the soil.
• the number of worms in the soil.

A mixture of different minerals is called________.

• a rock.
• the Earth.
• calcite.
• a solution.

If I say that a paperclip can scratch a rock, what property am I referring to?

• Color
• Weight
• Hardness
• Luster

What observation about a rock is helpful in discovering what minerals are in the rock?

• Color
• Size
• Weight
• Shape

When investigating an earth material, what kind of observation will help you know FOR SURE that the earth material you have is a rock and not a mineral?

• If the earth material is rough.
• If the earth material is shiny.
• If the earth material has more than one color.
• If the earth material is hard.

All rocks contain at least one mineral.

• True
• False

The continuous series of changes that rocks undergo is known as the _____.

• rock cycle
• water cycle
• stone age
• rock change

What type of rocks would I most likely see at the top of a volcano?

• igneous
• metamorphic
• sedimentary
• minerals