Minerals

How do you test the hardness of a mineral?

• By measuring how high it bounces off the floor

• By observing what materials can scratch it

• By tapping it with a small hammer

• By counting how many edges it has

What are the most common minerals in earth's crust?

• Native elements like gold and silicon

• Sulfides like gypsum and pyrite

• Carbonates like dolomite and calcite

• Silicates like quartz and feldspar

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

If a mineral breaks easily into smooth flat sheets, it has:

• Luster

• Cleavage

• Fracture

• Streak

Groups of minerals are classified according to their:

• shape

• color

• chemical composition

• size

Which of the following is a carbonate mineral?

• Gypsum, CaSO₄

• Hematite, Fe₂O₃

• Graphite, C

• Calcite, CaCO₃

What is not a characteristic of minerals?

• Luster

• Solid

• Naturally occurring

• Consistent chemical composition

Which of these minerals is the hardest?

• Calcite

• Talc

• Diamond

• Quartz

Minerals are all made up of various:

• elements

• liquids

• organic materials

• metals

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

Hardness, streak and cleavage are all examples of:

• minerals

• properties

• characteristics

• feldspar

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

What is one reason why granite is not a mineral?

• It is made of crystals

• It has an inconsistent chemical composition

• It is a solid

• It is inorganic