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Minerals and Their Properties Quiz

Total questions: 27

Worksheet time: 14mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following best defines a "gem"?

a)

A stone that is used in jewelry

b)

Made from non-living material

c)

The ability to scratch or be scratched by other minerals

d)

A rock that breaks along a smooth line

2.

What is the definition of "inorganic"?

a)

Made from non-living material

b)

Will conduct electricity

c)

Cannot be made into thin sheets

d)

How shiny a rock is

3.

Which term describes the ability to scratch or be scratched by other minerals?

a)

Hardness

b)

Luster

c)

Cleavage

d)

Ore

4.

What is "luster" in relation to minerals?

a)

How shiny a rock is

b)

The ability to scratch or be scratched by other minerals

c)

A rock that breaks along a smooth line

d)

Made from non-living material

5.

Where are large metal and non-metal deposits found?

a)

Ore

b)

Gem

c)

Cleavage

d)

Luster

6.

The softest mineral in the Mohs hardness scale is

a)

fluorite-4

b)

talc-1

c)

diamond-10

d)

calcite-3

7.

If a fingernail, coin AND steel nail scratches a rock, what would its hardness be between?

a)

1-2

b)

2-3

c)

3-4

d)

5-6

8.

The breaking of a mineral along a smooth, definite, and repeating pattern is called

a)

fracture

b)

splintering

c)

foliation

d)

cleavage

9.

The way in which a mineral reflects light from its surface is its

a)

streak

b)

luster

c)

porphyritic

d)

brilliance

10.

Elements that have shiny surfaces and can conduct heat and electricity are called

a)

nonmetals

b)

gems

c)

metals

d)

ores

11.

What of the following is inorganic?

a)

tree

b)

dead leaves

c)

dog

d)

plastic bag

12.

The ability of a mineral to resist being scratched is its

a)

hardness

b)

density

c)

streak

d)

luster

13.

The amount of matter in a given space is called?

a)

density

b)

hardness

c)

streak

d)

luster

14.

Scientists are researching a way to remove this mineral from the ocean

a)

diamond

b)

calcite

c)

salt

d)

quartz

15.

Which of the following is a property of a mineral?

a)

man-made

b)

organic

c)

solid

d)

liquid

16.

Aluminum is found in

a)

Sand

b)

Gold

c)

Bauxite

d)

Iron Ore

17.

If we mine a mineral and the mineral is found in large quantities, what will happen to the price of this mineral?

a)

The price will go up.

b)

The price will drop.

c)

the price will remain the same.

d)

Who cares about the price!

18.

The color of the powder left by a mineral after it is rubbed against a hard, rough surface is always white.

a)

True

b)

False

19.

One property of a metal is that it is shiny.

a)

True

b)

False

20.

Stalactites form from the top of a cave and move downward.

a)

True

b)

False

21.

Apatite (Hardness 5) will scratch Fluorite (Hardness 4).

a)

True

b)

False

22.

Which of the 3 rocks above has a hardness of a 1-2?

a)

Gray Rock

b)

White Rock

c)

Pink Rock

d)

All of them

23.

While camping in the Adirondacks, Mrs. Fowler found a small red rock. The rock was very hard, made a white streak and did not have cleavage. The rock Mrs. Fowler found was:

a)

Halite

b)

Pyrite

c)

Garnet

d)

Serpentine

24.

While cleaning the school yard, Mrs. Keller and Ms. Link discovered a rock. The color of the streak was white. They were able to scratch it with his fingernail. The rock they found was:

a)

Halite

b)

Pyrite

c)

Garnet

d)

Cinnabar

e)

Serpentine

25.

The mineral in the Moh’s hardness scale that is harder than gypsum -2 but softer than Apatite-5 is

a)

Feldspars-6

b)

diamond-10

c)

talc-1

d)

calcite-3

26.

A rock that is magnetic contains a lot of _______?

a)

Nickel

b)

Magneticum

c)

Iron

d)

Copper

27.

If a coin (Copper) scratches a rock and not your finger nail, its hardness is what?

a)

1-2

b)

5-6

c)

3-4

d)

7-9