Wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Minerals Test Review

Total questions: 39

Worksheet time: 26mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Coal is NOT classified as a mineral because

a)

it is useful as a fuel

b)

it is not valuable

c)

it is part of Earth's crust

d)

it comes from the remains of plants and animals.

2.

Most minerals do NOT split apart evenly. Instead, they have a characteristic type of

a)

cleavage

b)

fracture

c)

crystal

d)

luster

3.

What is the hardest known mineral?

a)

diamond

b)

gold

c)

talc

d)

quartz

4.

All minerals share the following characteristics EXCEPT that of ____.

a)

being formed from living organisms

b)

having the atoms within the mineral arranged in a pattern

c)

being solids

d)

being formed by natural processes

5.

If you broke a mineral into tiny pieces, each piece would

a)

have a different shape.

b)

still show the same crystal structure.

c)

be roughly the same size

d)

has no crystal structure.

6.

When a geologist say that a mineral always contains certain elements in definite proportions, they mean that the mineral ____.

a)

is a rock-forming mineral.

b)

is a solid.

c)

still show the same crystal structure.

d)

has no crystal structure.

7.

All minerals share ____ basic characteristics.

a)

three

b)

four

c)

two

d)

ten

8.

The color of a mineral’s powder is called its

a)

luster.

b)

density.

c)

streak.

d)

hardness.

9.

Although cement, brick, steel, and glass all come from substances found in Earth’s crust, they are NOT classified as minerals because

a)

they have many uses.

b)

they are too hard.

c)

they are not naturally occurring.

d)

they are organic.

10.

Metals are useful for tools because they ____________.

a)

are elements.

b)

are hard yet can be easily shaped.

c)

are compounds.

d)

have a metallic luster.

11.

The hardness of quartz is 7. This indicates that quartz will scratch all of the following minerals EXCEPT ___.

a)

talc

b)

topaz

c)

calcite

d)

apatite

12.

The term used to describe how a mineral reflects light from its surface is ___.

a)

luster

b)

streak

c)

fluorescence

d)

density

13.

A mineral must be inorganic, which means that it contains

a)

parts of living things.

b)

compounds.

c)

materials made by humans.

d)

no materials that were once part of living things.

14.

Which properties are NOT commonly used to identify minerals?

a)

mass and size

b)

reaction with acid

c)

specific gravity

d)

cleavage and fracture

15.

Minerals can form deep inside Earth's crust by

a)

evaporation of ancient seas.

b)

crystallization of melted materials.

c)

cleavage and fracture.

d)

friction along faults.

16.

The repeating pattern of a mineral's particles forms a solid called a(n) ___.

a)

compound

b)

element

c)

crystal

d)

rock

17.

A collector of minerals would want a sample of ___.

a)

sugar

b)

wood

c)

coal

d)

salt

18.

Minerals may form on Earth's surface when ___.

a)

crystallization is delayed.

b)

solutions evaporate.

c)

pure metals are present.

d)

magma heats a solution.

19.

Muscovite mica will peel off in flat sheets. This is an example of the physical characteristic called ___.

a)

fracture

b)

hardness

c)

cleavage

d)

streak

20.

Calcite will scratch gypsum. This is an example of the physical characteristic called ___.

a)

fracture

b)

streak

c)

hardness

d)

cleavage

21.

If the cost of separating a mineral from waste rock becomes too great, the mineral may no longer be classified as an ore. This happens because ____.

a)

the mineral can no longer be mined at a profit

b)

the mineral has lost its usefulness

c)

the demand for the mineral has decreased

d)

none of the above

22.

The softest mineral on the Mohs hardness scale is ___.

a)

talc

b)

quartz

c)

apatite

d)

gypsum

23.

As magma cools, its ____ combine into compounds that form a crystal structure, and it becomes a mineral.

a)

atoms

b)

elements

c)

electrons

d)

none of the above

24.

Minerals are comprised of one or more ____.

a)

colors

b)

elements

c)

rocks

d)

structures

25.

______ percent of the Earth's crust is made up of calcium.

a)

2.6

b)

3.6

c)

.36

d)

36.0

26.

Although 90 elements occur naturally in Earth's crust, Figure 1F-2 shows that 98% of the crust is made up of only ____ elements.

a)

7

b)

8

c)

9

27.

The atoms of a mineral are arranged in a repeating pattern to form a solid called a(n) (a)   .

28.

Shiny minerals, such as galena, are said to have metallic (a)   .

29.

Talcum powder is made from the very soft mineral (a)   .

30.

One way to identify a mineral is to rub it against a piece of unglazed tile to observe its (a)   .

31.

You can roughly compare the (a)   of two mineral samples of the same size by hefting them.

32.

The process by which atoms are arranged to form a mineral with a crystal shape is called (a)   .

33.

According to the figure, (a)   is the most common element in Earth's crust.

34.

Based on the figure, you can infer that the most common rock-forming minerals are (a)   .

35.

The figure shows that together, oxygen and silicon make up (a)   percent of Earth's crust.

36.

A mineral is always a (a)   because it has a definite volume and shape.

37.

The splitting of a mineral along flat surfaces is a property called (a)   .

38.

Which minerals in the table with scratch Quartz.

a)

Topaz

b)

Corundum

c)

Diamond

d)

Fluorite

39.

Don't forget to go over questions 39-47 on the study guide! Some will definitely be on the test!!!! Guarantee!

a)

Sure thing!

b)

I'm looking over it!

c)

I don't care, I want to fail it.

d)

Yes, I will study them.