Mineral Chemistry

By definition, a mineral has which of the following characteristic(s)?

• chemical composition
• crystalline structure
• natural
• all of the above

What term refers to the regular, geometric shapes that occur in many minerals?

• fracture
• crystal
• composition
• none of the above

What is the term for minerals containing silicon and oxygen?

• carbonates
• silicates
• sheet silicates
• nonsilicates

^{_{The following image shows what mineral property?}}

• Hardness
• Streak
• Cleavage
• None of the above

Diamond has a hardness of ___ on Mohs Hardness Scale.

• 1
• 5
• 8
• 10

Which is one of the three most common elements in Earth's crust?

• Calcium
• Sodium
• Silicon
• Quartz

True or false; coal is a mineral

• False...negative ghostrider
• True...no questions asked!

What are the main physical properties of minerals? 

• Luster, Streak, Color
• Streak, Hardness, Luster
• Hardness, Color, Luster, Streak
• Hardness, Color

How do you test the hardness of a mineral? 

• Throw it against a wall
• Step on it
• Scratch Test
• Kick it until it breaks

How effective is the physical property of color in identifying a mineral? 

• Very effective.  You can immediately identify it based only on the color. 
• It doesn't make a difference.  Every mineral can be any color.  
• It is one property and may not be used alone to identify a mineral. 
• Color isn't a physical property.