Mineral Properties

What is the least reliable physical property for identifying a mineral?

• Luster

• Hardness

• Color

• Streak

What is the scale used to measure the hardness of minerals?

• Mohs scale

• Beaufort scale

• Richter scale

• Fahrenheit scale

What is the term for the way a mineral breaks along flat surfaces?

• Fracture

• Cleavage

• Luster

• Hardness

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

• Toughness

• Brittleness

• Hardness

• Ductility

What percentage of the minerals found in the Earth's crust are silicates?

• 70%

• 80%

• 90%

• 60%

What is the term for a naturally occurring solid with a definite chemical composition?

• Rock

• Mineral

• Element

• Compound

What term describes a mineral that did NOT come from something once living?

• Organic

• Biogenic

• Inorganic

• Synthetic

What does it mean when atoms in a mineral line up in a repeating pattern?

• Crystal structure

• Atomic arrangement

• Mineral composition

• Geological formation

What is the term for minerals that form from the cooling of magma?

• Sedimentary minerals

• Metamorphic minerals

• Igneous minerals

• Organic minerals

What type of mineral is primarily composed of silicon and oxygen?

• Carbonate minerals

• Silicate minerals

• Oxide minerals

• Sulfate minerals