Mineralogy Quiz

Halides and oxides are classes of:

• Silicate materials

• Native elements

• Micas

• Nonsilicate minerals

Which of the following is a key concept in mineralogy?

• Photosynthesis

• Crystalline structure

• Cellular respiration

• Plate tectonics

Which term describes the mass per unit volume of a mineral?

• Cleavage

• Density

• Hardness

• Luster

What is the term for a mineral's resistance to being scratched?

• Cleavage

• Density

• Hardness

• Luster

What is the term for the smallest part of an element that retains the properties of that element?

• Atom

• Molecule

• Ion

• Compound

What is the main difference between cleavage and fracture in minerals?

• Cleavage is the color of a mineral, fracture is its weight.

• Cleavage is the way a mineral breaks along flat surfaces, fracture is the way it breaks irregularly.

• Cleavage is the mineral's luster, fracture is its transparency.

• Cleavage is the mineral's density, fracture is its hardness.

Which of the following is a similarity between silicates and non-silicates?

• Both contain silicon.

• Both are organic compounds.

• Both are types of minerals.

• Both are metals.

What is an example of a halide mineral?

• Quartz

• Halite

• Hematite

• Feldspar

Which of the following is a harm caused by mining to the environment?

• Increased biodiversity

• Soil erosion

• Improved air quality

• Water purification

Which of the following describes cleavage in minerals?

• The mineral's color

• The mineral's ability to conduct electricity

• The mineral's tendency to break along flat surfaces

• The mineral's magnetic properties