Question 1

Minerals are components of  ______________.
A) sedimentary rocks
B) soil horizons
C) organic components of Earthʹs crust
D) the troposphere
E) the lithosphere

Accepted Answer

Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic substances that make up the rocks and minerals of Earth's lithosphere. Sedimentary rocks (A) and soil horizons (B) may contain minerals, but they are not components of minerals themselves. Organic components of Earth's crust (C) typically refer to petroleum products and other fossil fuels, which are not minerals. The troposphere (D) is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere and not related to minerals.

Question 2

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Dissolves and extracts resources via a narrow borehole
A)strip mining
B)open pit mining
C)subsurface mining
D)solution mining
E)mountaintop removal mining
F)prospecting
G)placer mining
H)reclamation
I)ecological mining

Accepted Answer

Solution mining is the process of dissolving and extracting resources, typically minerals or metals, via a narrow borehole using a solvent.

Question 3

Use the figure above to answer the following question
-Another conclusion drawn from the bar graph is that ______________.
A) neither recycling, reducing consumption, nor finding alternative materials will keep prices from rising
B) our collective use of metal resources is presently unsustainable
C) we are using metals sustainably at present
D) after 400 years all the metals shown will have entirely disappeared from the earth
E) known global reserves are increasing to keep pace with consumption

Accepted Answer

The bar graph shows that the consumption of metal resources has been steadily increasing and is expected to continue to do so, indicating that it is presently unsustainable. None of the other options are supported by the data presented in the graph.

Question 4

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Excavating a giant hole in the landscape to remove widely spread mineral deposits
A)strip mining
B)open pit mining
C)subsurface mining
D)solution mining
E)mountaintop removal mining
F)prospecting
G)placer mining
H)reclamation
I)ecological mining

Accepted Answer

Excavating a giant hole in the landscape to remove widely spread mineral deposits describes the process of open pit mining, where a large open pit is excavated in the ground and mineral deposits are extracted from the earth.

Question 5

Smelting of iron ore involves  ______________.
A) washing the ore with acid to extract iron
B) dissolving the ore in hot water to separate iron and aluminum
C) oxidizing iron to ferric oxide and then adding silicon and boron
D) heating beyond ironʹs melting point and combining the material with carbon
E) crushing and heating the ore at its melting point

Accepted Answer

Smelting of iron ore involves heating beyond ironʹs melting point and combining the material with carbon. This process is known as the blast furnace process, and it is used to extract iron from its ore. The carbon reacts with the oxygen in the iron ore to produce carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which then reducethe iron oxide to iron metal.

Question 6

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Restoration of mined areas to pre-mining conditions
A)strip mining
B)open pit mining
C)subsurface mining
D)solution mining
E)mountaintop removal mining
F)prospecting
G)placer mining
H)reclamation
I)ecological mining

Accepted Answer

Reclamation is the process of restoring mined areas to pre-mining conditions.

Question 7

The focus of the 2001 inquiry of the UN General Assembly into coltan mining in Congo was  ______________.
A) controlling the high price of the ore charged by the Congolese government
B) stopping the mining and sale of coltan to western nations
C) diverting 30% of the profits from coltan into UN agencies like USESCO and FAO
D) allowing more western nations to benefit from the importation of coltan
E) environmental and social justice for the Congolese

Accepted Answer

The focus of the 2001 inquiry of the UN General Assembly into coltan mining in Congo was to address the environmental and social justice issues related to the mining of coltan in Congo. The inquiry aimed to ensure that the exploitation of coltan benefitted the Congolese people and to prevent the exploitation of workers and the environment.

Question 8

Most coltan ore is mined in  ______________, but purified and marketed in  ______________.
A) Congo; developed nations in North America and Europe
B) South Africa; Congo
C) South America; South Africa
D) the United States; Europe
E) Canada; the United States

Accepted Answer

According to various sources, such as the U.S. Geological Survey, the majority of coltan ore is indeed mined in the Congo. However, purification and marketing of coltan typically occurs in developed nations in North America and Europe.

Question 9

Tantalum from African coltan is used primarily for the manufacture of  ______________.
A) plastics
B) pesticides, fertilizers and biodiesel fuel
C) aerospace engines and aircraft hulls
D) high quality steel
E) electronics: cell phones, computers, digital cameras

Accepted Answer

Tantalum from African coltan is mainly used in the electronics industry for the production of electronic devices, such as cell phones, computers, and digital cameras.

Question 10

A naturally occurring solid chemical element with a distinct composition and a crystalline structure is a(n) ______________.
A) organic nutrient
B) rock
C) mineral
D) horizon
E) sediment

Accepted Answer

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical element or compound with a crystalline structure, distinct composition, and defined physical properties. Organic nutrients, rocks, horizons, and sediments may contain minerals but do not meet all the criteria to be considered a mineral themselves.

Question 11

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Surface layers are removed to expose and extract horizontal mineral deposits
A)strip mining
B)open pit mining
C)subsurface mining
D)solution mining
E)mountaintop removal mining
F)prospecting
G)placer mining
H)reclamation
I)ecological mining

Accepted Answer

Strip mining involves removing the surface layers in a strip or ribbon to extract mineral deposits that are horizontally dispersed.

Note: Open pit mining typically involves removing vertical layers of rock to extract mineral deposits, whereas subsurface mining involves drilling shafts or tunnels to extract minerals from deeper underground. Solution mining involves using solvents to extract minerals from underground deposits. Mountaintop removal mining involves removing the tops of mountains to extract coal deposits. Placer mining involves searching for minerals in river sediments, while prospecting involves the search for new mineral deposits. Reclamation refers to restoring mining sites to their original state, and ecological mining involves using sustainable practices to minimize environmental impacts.

Question 12

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Tunneling deep underground to extract minerals
A)strip mining
B)open pit mining
C)subsurface mining
D)solution mining
E)mountaintop removal mining
F)prospecting
G)placer mining
H)reclamation
I)ecological mining

Accepted Answer

Subsurface mining involves tunneling deep underground to extract minerals.

Question 13

Use the figure above to answer the following question
-The effects of increased recycling will, other factors being equal,_____________ .
A) increase the amount of economically recoverable metals
B) shift extraction and mining methods to technically recoverable metals
C) result in discoveries of new metal deposits
D) cause a sharp rise in price of metals
E) increase the lifetime of economically recoverable metals

Accepted Answer

Increased recycling will extend the lifetime of economically recoverable metals, as more metal can be extracted from already used products instead of relying solely on mining for new metal sources.

Question 14

Use the figure above to answer the following question
-This bar graph tells us that _______________.
A) if consumption rates on all metals rise, the price should come down
B) using current technology, the prices of lead and zinc will decline in the next century
C) metals are renewable resources
D) at current rates of consumption, most metals will become scarcer and costlier
E) all the metals will be available at current prices for between 100-400 years

Accepted Answer

The bar graph shows the estimated years of remaining metal reserves based on current consumption rates, with the majority of metals having less than 100 years left. This suggests that if consumption rates continue at their current pace, most metals will become scarcer and costlier in the future.

Question 15

Most metals, such as iron and copper, do not occur in a pure state in Earthʹs crust, but occur within  ______________.
A) the O horizon of the soil
B) ores
C) organic materials
D) igneous rocks
E) sediments

Accepted Answer

Most metals are found in ores, which are naturally occurring minerals that contain high concentrations of a specific metal. These ores must be mined and processed to extract the metal in its pure form.

Question 16

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Sifting through sand and silt in riverbeds for minerals using a sluice with running water
A)strip mining
B)open pit mining
C)subsurface mining
D)solution mining
E)mountaintop removal mining
F)prospecting
G)placer mining
H)reclamation
I)ecological mining

Accepted Answer

This describes placer mining, which involves sifting through river sediments for minerals.

Question 17

If a mineral is opaque, lustrous, malleable, and can conduct heat and electricity, it is a(n)  ______________.
A) element
B) radioactive element
C) metal
D) gemstone
E) crystal

Accepted Answer

The mineral described possesses the properties of a metal, including being opaque, lustrous, malleable, and able to conduct heat and electricity.

Question 18

Use the figure above to answer the following question
-The effect of rising rates of consumption of metals will _____________.
A) have no effect on price
B) increase the lifetime of economically recoverable metal deposits
C) force prices lower as nations compete for limited resources
D) make prices higher as nations complete for limited resources
E) have the smallest effect on the price of lead, zinc, and copper, but largest for titanium

Accepted Answer

According to the figure, as the consumption of metals increases, the economically recoverable reserves decrease, leading to higher prices. This implies that the rising rates of consumption will make prices higher as nations compete for limited resources.

Question 19

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following:
-Mineral extraction by removing 100 vertical meters from hill and mountain tops
A)strip mining
B)open pit mining
C)subsurface mining
D)solution mining
E)mountaintop removal mining
F)prospecting
G)placer mining
H)reclamation
I)ecological mining

Accepted Answer

Mountaintop removal mining involves removing the tops of mountains and hills to extract minerals.

Note: Strip mining also involves removing layers of rock and soil, but it typically refers to horizontal layers and not necessarily vertical distance. Open pit mining involves excavating a large pit in the ground, but it does not necessarily require the removal of mountain or hill tops. Subsurface mining involves extracting minerals from underground, and solution mining involves using chemical solutions to extract minerals. Placer mining involves sifting through sediment to find minerals, prospecting involves searching for mineral deposits, reclamation involves restoring land after mining activities, and ecological mining involves minimizing the environmental impact of mining activities.

Question 20

Use the figure above to answer the following question
-The bar graph indicates that all of the metals shown will _______________.
A) become less expensive to extract over time
B) never be exhausted
C) be easily replaced by other metals
D) all be available for at least 500 more years
E) eventually no longer be available, even with current technological capabilities

Accepted Answer

The declining bars in the graph indicate that the reserves of these metals are being depleted over time and will eventually no longer be available, even with current technological capabilities.

Quiz 11: Geology, Minerals, and Mining

Minerals are components of ______________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Dissolves and extracts resources via a narrow borehole

Use the figure above to answer the following question -Another conclusion drawn from the bar graph is that ______________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Excavating a giant hole in the landscape to remove widely spread mineral deposits

Smelting of iron ore involves ______________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Restoration of mined areas to pre-mining conditions

The focus of the 2001 inquiry of the UN General Assembly into coltan mining in Congo was ______________.

Most coltan ore is mined in , but purified and marketed in .

Tantalum from African coltan is used primarily for the manufacture of ______________.

A naturally occurring solid chemical element with a distinct composition and a crystalline structure is a(n) ______________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Surface layers are removed to expose and extract horizontal mineral deposits

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Tunneling deep underground to extract minerals

Use the figure above to answer the following question -The effects of increased recycling will, other factors being equal,_____________ .

Use the figure above to answer the following question -This bar graph tells us that _______________.

Most metals, such as iron and copper, do not occur in a pure state in Earthʹs crust, but occur within ______________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Sifting through sand and silt in riverbeds for minerals using a sluice with running water

If a mineral is opaque, lustrous, malleable, and can conduct heat and electricity, it is a(n) ______________.

Use the figure above to answer the following question -The effect of rising rates of consumption of metals will _____________.

Choose the item that best matches each item in the following: -Mineral extraction by removing 100 vertical meters from hill and mountain tops

Use the figure above to answer the following question -The bar graph indicates that all of the metals shown will _______________.