Minerals Review Part 1

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

• carbon

• oxygen

• silicon

• aluminum

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

• oxygen

• calcium

• silicon

• iron

What are the building blocks of minerals?

• rocks

• isotopes

• elements

• electrons

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of minerals?

• crystalline structure

• definite chemical composition

• formed by inorganic processes

• either liquid or solid

What is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with an orderly crystalline structure and a definite chemical composition?

• a mineral

• an isotope

• an element

• a compound

Mineral formation caused by high pressures and high temperatures would most likely occur in which of the following environments?

• a lava flow

• a cave

• the ocean

• deep within Earth

Minerals are classified by ____.

• color

• size

• composition

• density

A mineral that contains carbon, oxygen, and the metallic element magnesium would be classified as a(n) ____.

• silicate

• carbonate

• oxide

• sulfate

The building block of the silicate minerals is called the ____.

• silicon-oxygen tetrahedron

• silicon-oxygen triangle

• aluminum-oxygen tetrahedron

• silicon-aluminum triangle

Minerals with the silicon-oxygen structure, shown in Figure 2-1, are classified into what group?

• sulfates

• carbonates

• oxides

• silicates