Introduction to Geochemistry

What does geochemistry study?

• The chemical composition of Earth materials

• The physical properties of minerals

• The history of Earth

• The formation of planets

What are the primary components of the Earth's crust?

• Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron

• Gold, silver, copper

• Carbon, nitrogen, sulfur

• Hydrogen, helium, lithium

What is the process of sedimentation?

• The breakdown of rocks and minerals

• The settling of particles from a fluid

• The alteration of rocks under pressure

• The eruption of molten rock

What is the significance of isotope geochemistry?

• It helps in radiometric dating

• It studies the physical properties of minerals

• It focuses on the interaction of elements

• It analyzes the chemical composition of water

What are colloids?

• Substances composed of fine particles dispersed in a medium

• Large particles that settle out of a solution

• Gases that dissolve in liquids

• Solid minerals that do not dissolve

What is the role of ion exchange in colloids?

• It helps in nutrient availability

• It causes pollution

• It forms new minerals

• It alters the physical properties of rocks

What is the coordination number?

• The number of atoms surrounding a central atom

• The number of elements in a group

• The number of layers in a crystal

• The number of bonds in a molecule

What are the groups in the Periodic Table?

• Vertical columns of elements

• Horizontal rows of elements

• Elements with similar atomic masses

• Elements that are gases at room temperature

What are metalloids?

• Elements with properties intermediate between metals and non-metals

• Elements that are only gases

• Elements that are only solids

• Elements that are highly reactive