Geo Science Chapter 2 Earth's Materials

Which of the following is NOT one of the eight most common elements in Earth’s continental crust?

• Carbon

• Silicon

• Oxygen

• Aluminum

The most abundant element in Earth’s continental crust (by weight) is ____.

• Oxygen

• Silicon

• Calcium

• Iron

What are the building blocks of minerals?

• Rocks

• Elements

• Isotopes

• electrons

The central region of an atom is called the ____.

• Proton

• Electron

• Nucleus

• Neutron

The smallest particle of an element that still retains all the element’s properties is a(n) ____.

• Compound

• Atom

• Isotope

• Mineral

If the atomic number of an element is 6 and its mass number is 14, how many neutrons are contained in the nucleus?

• 6

• 8

• 12

• 20

An atom that loses or gains electrons is called a(n) ____.

• Isotope

• Proton

• Neutron

• Ion

Atoms containing the same numbers of protons and different numbers of neutrons are ____.

• Isotopes

• Ions

• Neutrons

• Compounds

Isotopes of the same element differ in the number of ____.

• Protons

• Electrons

• Neutrons

• Nuclei

The mass number of an atom is obtained by totaling the number of ____.

• electrons and protons

• electrons and neutrons

• protons and neutrons

• neutrons and isotopes