Rocks and Minerals

What is a mineral?

• A mixture of rocks

• a mixture of sediments

• a chemically pure substance

• a man-made rock

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a mineral?

• a mineral is a naturally occurring substance

• a mineral is made of organic and/or inorganic substances

• a mineral has a specific and fixed chemical makeup

• a mineral has an orderly crystalline structure

How do minerals form?

• through the compaction and cementation of sediments

• when magma cools below Earth's surface or on Earth's surface

• When water evaporates and leaves substances dissolved in the water behind

Which mineral property describes the ability of a mineral to resist scratching?

• Hardness

• Luster

• Streak

• Cleavage

A mineral tends to break alone a plane and has a smooth and flat surfaces. What property does this mineral exhibit?

• Cleavage

• Fracture

• Metallic Luster

• Nonmetallic luster

What type of minerals will react with acid --- forming bubbles of carbon dioxide?

• magnetic minerals

• metallic minerals

• carbonate containing minerals

• oxygen containing minerals

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a rock?

• a rock is a mixture of minerals

• a rock is mostly inorganic but can be organic

• a rock can contain fossils

• a rock is a chemically pure substance

Which type of rock forms when magma cools and hardens

• igneous rock

• sedimentary rock

• metamorphic rock

A student is studying an igneous rock. The rocky is very shiny and glass-like. What can she predict about the rock?

• The rock must have formed when magma or lava cooled very slowly.

• The rock must have formed when magma or lava cooled somewhat slowly.

• The rock must have formed when magma or lava cooled somewhat fast.

• The rock must have formed when magma or lava cooled very quickly.

What type of rock can contain fossils?

• igneous rock

• sedimentary rock

• metamorphic rock