Minerals and Their Properties Quiz

Explain what makes one mineral so precious or costly compared to another.

Why is a crystal of pure calcium carbonate made in a lab not a sample of the mineral calcite?

What is the likely relationship between mineral deposits that exist today and those that were created before the Flood? Explain your answer.

Compare compound minerals, native minerals, and rocks.

What is the main reason that a mineralogist identifies minerals?

Explain why a mineral's color is not a totally reliable way to identify it. Which test related to color is more reliable?

Under what conditions do geologists believe most mineral crystals formed?

Compare mineral cleavage and fracture.

The Mohs hardness scale shows the relative hardness of a mineral, not its actual hardness. Explain.

Why do you suppose that water was used for comparing the densities of other substances in order to compute specific gravity?