Minerals Test Review

Emily breaks a piece off a mineral sample. Which characteristic is Emily trying to identify for the mineral?

• Luster

• Streak

• Fracture/Cleavage

• Color

Terry rubs together a soft mineral and a hard mineral. What will most likely happen when the minerals are rubbed against each other?

• The harder mineral will scratch the softer mineral.

• The minerals will not leave any scratches on each other.

• The minerals will both leave scratches on the floor.

• The softer mineral will scratch the harder mineral.

Which statement best explains why hardness, luster, and cleavage are more useful than color for identifying minerals?

• Hardness, luster, and cleavage are measurable properties that stay consistent, while color can vary.

• Color is the only property visible without tools, so it is always reliable.

• Cleavage only applies to gemstones, not common minerals.

• Luster is less reliable than color because it changes in the light.

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Two minerals both look metallic and have the same color. Which test would BEST help you determine if they are actually the same mineral?

• Checking their crystal shape only

• Comparing hardness and streak results

• Measuring how shiny they look under a light

• Asking if both minerals come from the same location

A student tests a mineral and finds that it scratches glass, leaves a white streak, and has a hardness of about 7. The student identifies it as diamond. Which response BEST evaluates this claim?

• Correct, because diamond and quartz are both very hard minerals.

• Incorrect, because streak is never used in mineral identification.

• Correct, because quartz and diamond are the same mineral.

• Incorrect, because only quartz has a hardness of 7; diamond is harder.

How does the formation environment of a mineral affect its crystal size?

• Fast cooling leads to smaller crystals; slow cooling leads to larger crystals

• Slow cooling always produces minerals with cleavage.

• Crystal size is random and does not depend on cooling rate.

• Larger crystals are only found in minerals with metallic luster.

Why would coal not be considered a mineral?

• Coal does not exist naturally on Earth, while minerals must be naturally occurring.

• Coal is always shiny, and minerals cannot be shiny.

• Coal is made of organic material from once-living plants, and minerals must be inorganic

• Coal is too soft, and minerals must be harder than glass.

Why do scientists say minerals have a “definite chemical composition”?

• Each mineral has the same elements in the same ratio.

• Minerals are always made of many different chemicals.

• Minerals can change their formula depending on location.

• Minerals do not contain any elements.

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What causes minerals to change during metamorphism?

• Weathering by wind and rain

• Cooling of lava on the surface

• Heat and pressure inside Earth

• Melting and evaporating

What happens to minerals as magma or lava cools?

• They melt into liquids.

• They crystallize into solid mineral grains.

• They turn into gases.

• They dissolve in water.