Rocks Daily Grade 2

Which question would NOT help you identify a mineral?

• What is its hardness?

• What is its luster?

• What is its weight?

• What is its color?

Rosa has two minerals, hematite and magnetite but she’s gotten them mixed up! She has recorded their attributes in the chart below: What question can Rosa ask to identify the materials and why?

• Which mineral will scratch the other mineral? The mineral that is scratched by the other will be Hematite since it has a harder hardness than Magnetite.

• Which mineral will scratch the other mineral? The mineral that is scratched by the other will be Magnetite since it has a lower hardness than Hematite.

• Which mineral has a rougher texture? The mineral that has a rougher texture will be Hematite since the hardness is higher than Magnetite.

• Which mineral has a shinier luster? The mineral that has a shiner texture will be Magnetite since the hardness is lower than Hematite.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Which mineral is smooth and metallic?

• Talc

• Pyrite

• Fluorite

• Quartz

Which mineral is clear and glassy?

• Diamond

• Halite

• Fluorite

• Quartz

A student is investigating a rock's luster. What question should the student ask?

• What is the rock’s shape?

• What is the rock’s color inside?

• How shiny is the rock’s surface?

• How much does the rock weigh?

A scientist wants to find out what type of mineral she has. What is the best way for her to find out?

• She could look at the color, hardness, and luster.

• She could look at the weight, hardness, and color.

• She could look at the color, weight, and size.

• She could look at the shape, size, and hardness.

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

• A rock can be made up of minerals, but minerals cannot be made up of a rock.

• A mineral can be made up of rocks, but rocks cannot be made up of minerals.

• A rock always has the same shape, while minerals may be different in shape.

• A mineral always has the same shape, while a rock may be different in shape.

Students in a fourth grade class use the Mohs Scale to determine the hardness of minerals. Students are tasked with proving the hardness scale with minerals and objects in their class. What question would be the BEST for students to ask to test out the hardness of the mineral talc?

• Is the mineral easy to scratch with other minerals provided?

• Is the mineral as shiny as other minerals on the chart?

• Is the mineral only able to scratch using a diamond?

• Is the mineral smooth to the touch?

Using the Mohs Hardness Scale above answer the following questions as true or false.

1. _____ Apatite would scratch fluorite but not topaz.

• True

• False

Using the Mohs Hardness Scale above answer the following questions as true or false.

3. _____ Fluorite can scratch calcite, gypsum and talc.

• True

• False