Question 1

The strong tendency of certain minerals to break along smooth, parallel planes is known as ________.
A) streak
B) cleavage
C) cracking luster
D) habit

Accepted Answer

The strong tendency of certain minerals to break along smooth, parallel planes is known as cleavage.

Question 2

Which group of minerals are the most abundant in the Earth's crust?
A) sulfides
B) carbonates
C) silicates
D) halides

Accepted Answer

Silicates make up approximately 90% of the Earth's crust, making them the most abundant group of minerals.

Question 3

Which one of the following is NOT true for minerals?
A) They have a specific, internal, crystalline structure.
B) They can be a liquid, solid, or glass.
C) They have a specific, predictable chemical composition.
D) They can be identified by characteristic physical properties.

Accepted Answer

Minerals can only be solids with a specific, internal, crystalline structure. They also have a specific, predictable chemical composition and can be identified by characteristic physical properties. Liquids or glasses do not have a crystalline structure and therefore cannot be minerals.

Question 4

What element is the most abundant in the Earth's crust by weight?
A) carbon
B) chlorine
C) oxygen
D) sodium

Accepted Answer

Oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust by weight. It makes up about 46.6% of the Earth's crust, followed by silicon at 27.7%. Carbon, chlorine, and sodium make up less than 1% each.

Question 5

An atom's mass number is 13 and its atomic number is 6. How many neutrons are in its nucleus?
A) 19
B) 7
C) 13
D) 6

Accepted Answer

The number of neutrons in an atom is calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the mass number. Therefore, neutrons = mass number - atomic number. In this case, neutrons = 13 - 6 = 7. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Question 6

The resistance of a mineral to abrasion is known as ________.
A) luster
B) cleavage
C) streak
D) hardness

Accepted Answer

The resistance of a mineral to abrasion is known as hardness. Luster refers to how a mineral reflects light, cleavage refers to how a mineral breaks along planes of weakness, and streak refers to the color of a mineral when it is in powdered form.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental particle found in atoms?
A) neutron
B) selectron
C) electron
D) protons

Accepted Answer

There is no such particle called the "selectron." The fundamental particles found in atoms are protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Question 8

A cubic centimeter of quartz, olivine, and gold weighs 2.5, 3.0, and 19.8 grams respectively. This indicates that ________.
A) gold has a higher density and specific gravity than quartz and olivine
B) gold is 6 to 7 times harder than olivine and quartz
C) gold and olivine are silicates, whereas quartz is elemental silicon
D) olivine and quartz powders are harder than metallic gold

Accepted Answer

Density is defined as the mass of a substance per unit of volume. Since gold has the highest mass per cubic centimeter, it has a higher density than quartz and olivine. Specific gravity is a ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance (typically water). Gold has a higher specific gravity than quartz and olivine, indicating that it is more dense. Hardness is a measure of a mineral's resistance to scratching, and is not related to density or specific gravity. Silicates are minerals composed of silicon, oxygen, and other elements, and both olivine and quartz are silicates.

Question 9

Which of the following minerals is a silicate?
A) hematite
B) feldspar
C) calcite
D) halite

Accepted Answer

Feldspar is a group of minerals that belong to the silicate mineral group. Hematite, calcite, and halite are all non-silicate minerals.

Question 10

Atoms of the same element, zinc for example, have the same number of ________.
A) electrons in the nucleus
B) protons in the nucleus
C) neutrons in the outer nuclear shell
D) electrons in the valence bond level

Accepted Answer

Atoms of the same element have the same number of protons in the nucleus, which is also known as the atomic number. This is what defines the element and its properties. The number of electrons in an atom can vary, but the number of protons must stay the same for it to remain the same element. The other options are not accurate or relevant to this concept.

Question 11

Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock?
A) A rock has an orderly, repetitive, geometrical, internal arrangement of minerals; a mineral is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of rocks.
B) A mineral consists of its constituent atoms arranged in a geometrically repetitive structure; in a rock, the atoms are randomly bonded without any geometric pattern.
C) In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of different mineral grains.
D) A rock consists of atoms bonded in a regular, geometrically predictable arrangement; a mineral is a consolidated aggregate of different rock particles.

Accepted Answer

A mineral is defined as having a regular and repetitive internal structure made up of its constituent atoms, while a rock is made up of a consolidated aggregate of different mineral grains. Option C accurately captures these definitions. Option A erroneously suggests that a rock has an internal arrangement of minerals, while Option B is incorrect in stating that a rock's atoms are randomly bonded. Option D is inaccurate in claiming that a rock has a regularly arranged atomic structure.

Question 12

Which of the following is correct for isotopes of the same element?
A) The atoms have different numbers of protons and the same number of neutrons.
B) The atoms have the same number of electrons and different numbers of protons.
C) The atoms have different numbers of neutrons and the same number of protons.
D) The atoms have different numbers of electrons but the same number of neutrons.

Accepted Answer

Isotopes of the same element have the same number of protons (since they are the same element), but different numbers of neutrons. This results in isotopes with different atomic masses. The number of electrons can vary in isotopes, but this does not distinguish them as isotopes of the same element. Thus, option C is the correct answer.

Question 13

Which carbonate mineral reacts readily with cool, dilute hydrochloric acid to produce visible bubbles of carbon dioxide gas?
A) calcite
B) quartz
C) gypsum
D) plagioclase

Accepted Answer

Calcite readily reacts with cool, dilute hydrochloric acid to produce visible bubbles of carbon dioxide gas.

Question 14

Which one of the following mineral groups exhibits a sheet-like silicate structure?
A) carbonates
B) pyroxenes
C) micas
D) feldspars

Accepted Answer

Micas belong to the sheet silicate group, which has a layered structure where each layer is made up of tetrahedrons sharing three oxygen atoms, forming a sheet.

Question 15

Atoms that have an electrical charge due to a gain or loss of electrons are called ________.
A) isotopes
B) ions
C) isochrons
D) periodic elements

Accepted Answer

Atoms that have gained or lost electrons are called ions. Isotopes are atoms that have the same number of protons, but different numbers of neutrons. Isochrons are lines of equal age in a geological diagram. Periodic elements are the elements arranged according to their atomic number in the periodic table.

Question 16

What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?
A) silicate
B) native gold
C) diamond
D) muscovite

Accepted Answer

Diamond is the hardest known substance in nature with a maximum score of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Silicate, native gold, and muscovite have much lower hardness ratings.

Question 17

Which mineral is easily soluble in water at room temperature conditions?
A) diamond
B) talc
C) halite
D) olivine

Accepted Answer

Halite, also known as rock salt, is easily dissolved in water at room temperature. This is because halite has an ionic bond, which means that its atoms are held together by electrostatic forces and can be easily separated by the polar nature of water molecules. Diamond, talc, and olivine are not easily soluble in water.

Question 18

Which common mineral is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen?
A) calcite
B) diamond
C) olivine
D) quartz

Accepted Answer

Quartz is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen. Calcite is composed of calcium, carbon and oxygen, diamond is composed of carbon, and olivine is composed of magnesium, iron, silicon and oxygen.

Question 19

All silicate minerals contain which two elements?
A) iron, silicon
B) silicon, sodium
C) oxygen, carbon
D) silicon, oxygen

Accepted Answer

Silicate minerals are characterized by the presence of silicon and oxygen, which combine to form the basic building block of most silicate minerals known as the silica tetrahedron, which has a chemical formula of SiO4. Therefore, option D (silicon, oxygen) is the correct answer.

Question 20

The ion at the center of a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron is surrounded by ________.
A) four oxygen ions
B) six oxygen ions
C) four sodium ions
D) six sodium ions

Accepted Answer

A silicon-oxygen tetrahedron consists of one silicon ion at the center and four oxygen ions surrounding it in a tetrahedral shape.

Quiz 2: Minerals: Building Blocks of Rocks

The strong tendency of certain minerals to break along smooth, parallel planes is known as ________.

Which group of minerals are the most abundant in the Earth's crust?

Which one of the following is NOT true for minerals?

What element is the most abundant in the Earth's crust by weight?

An atom's mass number is 13 and its atomic number is 6. How many neutrons are in its nucleus?

The resistance of a mineral to abrasion is known as ________.

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental particle found in atoms?

A cubic centimeter of quartz, olivine, and gold weighs 2.5, 3.0, and 19.8 grams respectively. This indicates that ________.

Which of the following minerals is a silicate?

Atoms of the same element, zinc for example, have the same number of ________.

Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock?

Which of the following is correct for isotopes of the same element?

Which carbonate mineral reacts readily with cool, dilute hydrochloric acid to produce visible bubbles of carbon dioxide gas?

Which one of the following mineral groups exhibits a sheet-like silicate structure?

Atoms that have an electrical charge due to a gain or loss of electrons are called ________.

What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?

Which mineral is easily soluble in water at room temperature conditions?

Which common mineral is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen?

All silicate minerals contain which two elements?

The ion at the center of a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron is surrounded by ________.