Minerals Quiz

Which of the following is NOT a criterion for classifying a substance as a mineral?

• Naturally occurring

• Synthetic origin

• Solid substance

• Orderly crystalline structure

Which of the following is considered a mineral?

• Liquid water

• Ice

• Water vapor

• Mercury in its liquid form

What characteristic allows minerals to exhibit cleavage?

• Equally strong bonds in all directions

• Presence of weaker atomic bonds in specific directions

• Absence of a crystalline structure

• A higher number of covalent bonds

Which of the following statements about fracture in minerals is correct?

• Fracture occurs along planes of weak atomic bonds.

• Fracture only occurs in silicate minerals.

• Fracture occurs when chemical bonds are equally strong in all directions.

• Fracture is a property exhibited only by nonsilicate minerals.

Which mineral group comprises the majority of Earth's crust?

• Carbonates

• Oxides

• Silicates

• Sulfides

What is the fundamental building block of all silicate minerals?

• Carbonate ion

• Silicon–oxygen tetrahedron

• Sulfide ion

• Native elements

Which two minerals are the primary constituents of limestone and dolostone?

• Hematite and magnetite

• Calcite and dolomite

• Quartz and feldspar

• Chalcopyrite and galena

Which mineral group includes economically valuable ores like hematite and magnetite?

• Silicates

• Carbonates

• Oxides

• Sulfides

Which of the following is a native element mineral?

• Fluorite

• Gold

• Corundum

• Calcite

What is quartz primarily composed of?

• Silicon and carbon

• Silicon and oxygen

• Sulfur and oxygen

• Iron and silicon