Rocks, Minerals, and Soil

Which of the following is not part of the definition for a mineral?

• natural

• nonliving

• solid

• with a variable chemical structure

Earth’s crust contains more than ____ kinds of minerals, yet only about ____ are common. 

• 10,000;5000

• 4,000;24

• 8,000;24

• 50,000;12

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1

Which of the following is NOT a mineral?

• gold

• silver

• talc

• sandstone

Minerals are made up of

• rocks

• soil

• crystals

• metals

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

What gives a mineral its geometric shape?

• the amount of metals that make it up

• the amount of rocks that make it up

• the amount of sediments that make it up

• its crystal pattern (how it's particles are arranged)

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

Scientists use the Mohs hardness scale to measure the hardness of a mineral. What is number 1 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness?

• quartz

• feldspar

• diamond

• talc

What is number 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness?

• fluorite

• apatite

• granite

• diamond

What test is used to determine a mineral's true color?

• cleavage

• streak

• luster

• size

Many minerals tend to split, or cleave, along flat planes.  This splitting is called ______.

• luster

• streak

• fracture

• cleavage

Minerals that do not show cleavage when broken are said to ______.

• tear

• splinter

• hemmorage

• fracture