Minerals and Rocks Quiz

What is a mineral?

• A man-made material found in Earth's crust

• A liquid that forms underground from magma

• Any rock that contains metal

• A naturally occurring solid with a crystal structure and definite chemical composition

What does 'naturally occurring' mean in the context of minerals?

• Created in a laboratory setting

• Forms from natural processes, not man-made

• Only found in living things

• Formed by melting plastic

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-3

What does it mean that a mineral is a solid?

• Takes the shape of its container

• Always changes form

• Has a definite shape and volume

• Is always a gas

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How do minerals form by inorganic processes?

• From decaying plants

• From burning fossils

• From non-living materials like evaporating solutions

• Only through animal skeletons

What is a crystal structure?

• A repeating pattern of a mineral’s particles

• A liquid formed in water

• A smooth outer shell

• A rough, broken rock surface

What does definite chemical composition mean?

• Changes elements each time

• Has no known elements

• Is made of gases

• Contains specific elements in exact proportions

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How many minerals have geologists identified and named?

• About 500

• Only 20

• Less than 1,000

• More than 5,000

What do minerals have that are used to identify and describe them?

• Their temperature

• Their exact location

• Characteristic properties like color, streak, and hardness

• Age and size

How many general ways can minerals form?

• Three

• Six

• Four

• Two

What do many minerals form from when heated by Earth’s interior?

• Ocean water

• Plant roots

• Air pressure

• Magma and lava

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1