Rocks and Minerals

Which mineral is composed of Calcium and

Fluorine?

• Amphiboles

• Fluorite

• Hematite

• Calcite

A human fingernail has a hardness of approximately

2.5. Which two minerals are softer than a human

fingernail?

• sulfur and fluorite

• graphite and talc

• calcite and halite

• pyrite and magnetite

Which element, found in both biotite mica and

muscovite mica, makes up the greatest percent by

volume of Earth's crust?

• nitrogen

• silicon

• potassium

• oxygen

Dolostone is classified as which type of rock?

• foliated metamorphic rock

• nonfoliated metamorphic rock

• chemically formed sedimentary rock

• land-derived sedimentary rock

Which sedimentary rock could form as a result of

evaporation?

• shale

• limestone

• conglomerate

• sandstone

Which characteristic of nonsedimentary rocks

would provide the least evidence about the

environment in which the rocks were formed?

• structure

• mineral composition

• color

• crystal size

This rock should be classified as

• a bioclastic sedimentary rock

• an extrusive igneous rock

• a clastic sedimentary rock

• an intrusive igneous rock

Which igneous rock has a vesicular texture and a

felsic composition?

• pumice

• granite

• scoria

• basalt

A student on a field trip in New York State collected a sample of metamorphic bedrock containing bands of coarse-grained crystals of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene, quartz, and mica. Identify the metamorphic rock found by the student.

Base your answer to the following question on the passage below.

Carbon may be the most important element on our planet because it is the chemical building block of all living things. The element carbon is formed in dying stars and scattered when the stars explode. Our solar system formed from such star remnants. Pure carbon comes in several forms, which include the minerals graphite and diamond (hardness = 10), and the fossil fuels bituminous coal and anthracite coal. Almost all diamonds are mined from igneous rocks that originate at an approximate depth of 150 kilometers under immense pressure. Most graphite is formed through the metamorphism of organic material in rocks closer to Earth's surface.

Identify two uses for the mineral graphite.