Minerals and Gemstones Quiz

The general term for a beautiful mineral prized for its hardness, color, and "fire" is a native element.

(a)  

Ruby and sapphire are forms of diamond.

(a)  

Emerald and aquamarine are varieties of beryl.

• True

• False

The rarest, most durable, and most beautiful minerals are semiprecious stones.

(a)  

A mineral that remains glowing after being exposed to ultraviolet light and then placed in the dark exhibits fluorescence.

• True

• False

An artificial gemstone that looks like a natural gemstone but has different chemical and physical properties is a synthetic gemstone.

• True

• False

A line of powder left by a mineral when it is rubbed across unglazed porcelain is called a streak.

• True

• False

A 1 cm³ sample of water has a mass of 1 g. A 5 cm³ sample of sylvite has a mass of 10 g. What is the specific gravity of sylvite?

• 0.2

• 0.5

• 2

• 5

A scientist is testing samples of anhydrite, chromite, pyrite, and zircon to determine their hardness. He gets the following results: - Zircon scratches chromite. - Pyrite scratches chromite but not zircon. - Anhydrite does not scratch either pyrite or zircon. He did not test any of the other combinations. Which of the following is the correct ranking of the minerals from hardest to softest?

• chromite, anhydrite, pyrite, zircon

• zircon, pyrite, chromite, anhydrite

• anhydrite, chromite, zircon, pyrite

• pyrite, zircon, anhydrite, chromite

The most common igneous rock is

• obsidian

• rhyolite

• granite

• basalt