Quiz on Rocks and Minerals

Which statement is an accurate description of the relationship between rocks and minerals?

• All minerals are made of rocks.

• Geologically, minerals and rocks are exactly the same.

• Rocks are made of two or more minerals.

• Minerals and rocks are made of different substances.

Gabbro is a rock found in mid-ocean ridges or ancient mountains. What is a feature of a rock such as Gabbro a rock but not a mineral?

• It does not have a fixed chemical composition.

• It comes in many colors.

• It has a distinct crystal lattice structure.

• It has a consistent chemical composition.

Which statement best describes how minerals are different from rocks?

• Minerals are expensive and difficult to get, while rocks are easy to find.

• Minerals have a fixed chemical composition. Rocks have different chemical compositions.

Which factor is not a characteristic of a mineral?

• naturally occurring, inorganic substance

• the crystalline structure that forms a geometric shape

• always a solid; never a liquid or a gas

• a variable chemical composition

If you drop a piece of quartz, it will break apart in an irregular manner. Which property does quartz show in this situation?

• fracture

• cleavage

• streak

• luster

Which property is the least reliable method for identifying a mineral?

• color

• luster

• streak

• cleavage

What determines the chemical properties and physical properties of a mineral?

• the arrangement of the mineral's atoms

• the specific gravity of the mineral

• the conditions under which the mineral formed

• the location where it was found

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

Which statement is true for all minerals?

• They have a crystalline structure.

• They contain useful metals.

• They are made of silicon and oxygen.

• They are too hard to be scratched with a nail.

If a scientist creates a new rock-like substance in a laboratory, why wouldn’t this type of material be classified as a true mineral?

• It's an inorganic substance.

• It's not a naturally occurring substance.

• It's too new to be a mineral.

• It would not be hard enough.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-3