Minerals and Rocks in the Geosphere

How can scientists be sure of what is below Yellowstone National Park? Choose the three statements that apply.

• They use seismic waves

• They use models

• They observe rocks

• They use X-Rays

A geologist is comparing the properties of different minerals. He rubs each one on a piece of white tile and observes the color of the powder that is left behind. What type of test did he perform?

• Color

• Hardness

• Luster

• Streak

Jameson knows that diamonds are exceptionally hard minerals. He looks up other minerals to see some of their characteristics and discovers the Mohs scale. The scale rates minerals from one to ten based on their hardness. Any mineral can scratch any other mineral softer than itself, and it can be scratched by any mineral that is _____________.

Marcie is hiking in the mountains and she discovers an interesting shiny rock. As she picks it up she wonders whether it could be a mineral or whether it is just a rock. She notes that it is solid and naturally occurring with a definite chemical composition, but that it has no definite crystal structure. Marcie believes that she has found a piece of obsidian. What causes obsidian to form?

• Extremely hot rock that cools fast

• Remains of plants and animals compacted

• Pressure deep beneath the surface of Earth

• Particles of rock pressed and cememted together

Jill is planting a garden in her yard and notices that the fertilizer she is using contains gypsum. She learns that gypsum is a rock that is mined from underground and used to make fertilizer and other products. She remembers from science class that gypsum is rated a 2 on Moh’s hardness scale. Which of these describes this rock? Choose the two statements that apply.

• It cannot scratch any other rocks

• It can scratch rocks that are rated a 1

• It is very soft compared to other rocks

• It is very hard compared to other rocks

Marcie’s family takes a trip to the beach. They observe many features along the shoreline, including sea stacks and sea arches. These features are made of granite, a very hard rock. It takes many years and a huge amount of wave energy for a sea arch to fall, forming a sea stack. Which step of the rock cycle happens as the sea stacks are broken down?

• Deposition

• Pressure changes

• Temperature changes

• Weathering

Marcie’s family takes a trip to the beach. They observe many features along the shoreline, including sea stacks and sea arches. These features are made of granite, a very hard rock. It takes many years and a huge amount of wave energy for a sea arch to fall, forming a sea stack. Marcie believes that the sea arch was once part of a mountain. Which sentence explains how the mountain was formed?

• Plates move apart to form it

• Volcanic lava hardened to form it

• Tectonic plates collided to form it

• Sand was deposited to form it

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Evan examines a diagram of the rock cycle in his science textbook. He wonders how he can connect what he has learned about matter and energy to the rock cycle. Which statement explains what happens to material as it moves through the stages of the rock cycle?

• New matter is being created all of the time

• The same matter is recycled over and over

• Eventually the broken down matter disappears

• Old matter is destroyed and new matter takes its place

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

Minerals can be differentiated by their properties. Density is one property that can be used to tell different minerals apart. A mineralogist is testing a sample of a mineral that has a mass of 5 g and a volume of 2.5 cm³. Use the chart to determine which type of mineral the sample is.

• Grayite

• Morenosite

• Pitticite

• Trimounsite

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-1

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

In what sphere do the elements rocks and minerals belong?

• Geosphere

• Bioshpere

• Hydrosphere

• Atmosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-1