What Are Minerals

Why do you need to run several tests before you can identify a mineral with 100 percent certainty?

• Minerals all have the same chemical structure

• Many minerals share physical properties in common

• Minerals' physical properties can change very quickly

• A mineral can only be subjected to a few tests before it degrades

How do minerals form?

• When magma heats up, minerals boil to the top

• When magma heats up water, minerals cool it down

• When magma cools down, its molecules form crystals

• When magma is still in a volcano, it is full of minerals

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

What is a mineral?

• A small part that makes up a nucleus of an atom

• An unnatural element that is always liquid

• Any gas that is found on the Periodic Table

• A natural occurring element that is not a plant or animal

Where does table salt come from?

• It is formed by flowing magma

• It is left behind after a volcano erupts

• It is formed by freezing water

• It is left behind as a solution when water evaporates

What tool would you need discover whether a mineral has fracture?

• A hammer

• A file

• A grinder

• A harder mineral

Which of the following is a chemical property of a mineral?

• Hardness

• Luster

• Atomic structure

• Color

The composition of a mineral represents its

• Size

• Hardness

• Texture

• Color

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

For a science experiment, a student rubs a mineral against a porcelain plate. The students has just performed

• Hardness test

• Acid Test

• Streak Test

• Fracture Test

Talc is a mineral used in powders, lubricants, and as a filler in paper. It is a soft mineral; so soft that in hardness tests it is commonly scratched with a

• Penny

• Fingernail

• Piece of glass

• Iron nail

Ms. Puryear’s class has been studying properties of minerals in science. She has a mineral sample and wants to know which mineral it is. She performed a scratch test using her fingernail, a copper penny, glass, and a steel nail. Which property is Ms. Puryear testing?

• Cleavage

• Hardness

• Luster

• Color