Matter and Minerals

Which of the following are NOT a characteristic of minerals.

• Naturally occurring

• Man-made

• Solid

• Inorganic

Answer explanation

Minerals are defined as naturally occurring, solid, and inorganic substances. 'Man-made' refers to materials created by humans, which disqualifies it as a characteristic of minerals.

True or false: Minerals make up elements.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

False is correct because minerals are naturally occurring substances composed of one or more elements, not the other way around. Elements are the basic building blocks that make up minerals.

Minerals are...

• Made of rocks

• Made of elements

• Liquid

• Living

Answer explanation

Minerals are naturally occurring substances that are made of elements, which are pure chemical substances. They are not made of rocks, are not liquid, and are not living organisms.

The color of the minerals powder.

• Color

• Streak

• Luster

• Hardness

Answer explanation

The streak of a mineral is the color of its powder when it is scraped on a surface. This property is more reliable than the mineral's external color, making 'streak' the correct choice for describing the color of mineral powder.

The way light reflects off a mineral.

• Color

• Streak

• Luster

• Hardness

Answer explanation

Luster refers to the way light reflects off a mineral's surface, indicating its shine or brilliance. This property helps in identifying minerals, distinguishing it from color, streak, and hardness.

Minerals resistance to being scratched.

• Color

• Streak

• Luster

• Hardness

Answer explanation

Hardness measures a mineral's resistance to being scratched, making it the correct choice. Other options like color, streak, and luster describe different properties of minerals, not their scratch resistance.

Maya observes that mica breaks along a flat line, creating thin sheets. This is an example of

• Luster

• Cleavage

• Hardness

• Fracture

Answer explanation

Mica's ability to break along flat lines into thin sheets is known as cleavage. This property indicates how a mineral splits along specific planes of weakness, distinguishing it from fracture, which is irregular.

According to Mohs Hardness Scale, what mineral can scratch corundum?

• Talc

• Topaz

• Diamond

• Masonry Drill Bit

Answer explanation

According to Mohs Hardness Scale, diamond is the hardest mineral and can scratch corundum, which is rated 9. Diamond is rated 10, making it the only mineral that can scratch corundum.

According to Mohs Hardness Scale, what mineral can scratch apatite but not quartz?

• Talc

• Topaz

• Diamond

• Orthoclase

Answer explanation

Orthoclase has a hardness of 6 on the Mohs scale, allowing it to scratch apatite (5) but not quartz (7). Thus, it is the correct mineral that meets the criteria.

Using evidence from the data table, what is the chemical composition of Fluorite?

• CaF2

• H2O

• Fe3O4

• MnO2

Answer explanation

Fluorite is composed of calcium and fluorine, represented by the chemical formula CaF2. The other options (H2O, Fe3O4, MnO2) do not match the composition of Fluorite.