Minerals

The atoms within a mineral are arranged in an orderly, repeating three-dimensional pattern. Which of the characteristics of minerals does this statement describe?

• Solid          

• Inorganic

• Crystal Structure

• Made In Nature

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

My teacher mentioned that in order for a substance to be a mineral, it has to be _____ or nonliving.

• Inorganic   

• Organic

• Mixture

• Liquid

In the lab, a student wants to identify two different minerals. So, she takes them and scrapes them across a plate to see the color of the powder they leave behind. What property of minerals is she testing?

• Color   

• Hardness

• Luster

• Streak

A measure of a mineral's resistance to scratching. This is measured by scratching it against another substance of known hardness on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

• Color     

• Hardness

• Luster

• Streak

Which statement is the best example of the mineral property of cleavage?  

• The mineral broke and had jagged edges.     

• The mineral broke and had flat edges.

•   Minerals never break

• All are correct

This characteristic of a mineral means the substance is not made by an organism.

• Chemical Composition         

• Solid

• Inorganic

• Crystalline Structure

This characteristic of a mineral shows the molecules are closely packed together.

• Chemical Composition        

• Solid

• Inorganic

• Crystalline Structure

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

The tendency of a mineral to break along smooth, flat surfaces.

• Cleavage

• Fracture

• Hardness

• Streak

A mineral could NOT be scratched by both calcite (3) and apatite (5).

What is the hardness range?

• 1-3

• 3-5

• 3-10

• 5-10

A mineral could be scratched by topaz but NOT by fluorite.

What is the hardness range?

• 1-4

• 4-8

• 4-10

• 8-10