Minerals: Properties And Characterstics Quiz!
In our everyday life, we use products which are made of minerals. Whether it's your body, your toothpaste, cement, roads or anything everything contains minerals. The physical properties of minerals are identified by their colour, streak, hardness, tenacity, odour and crystalline structure. This quiz has been designed to test your knowledge about the properties and characteristics of minerals. So, let's try out the quiz. All the best!
- 1.
A mineral CANNOT be
- A.
Solid
- B.
Formed from once-living material
- C.
Naturally occurring
- D.
Light in color
Correct Answer
B. Formed from once-living materialExplanation
Minerals must meet five characteristics to be considered a mineral: solid, inorganic, naturally occurring, have a crystal structure and definite chemical composition.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Gold, silver and copper are examples of:
- A.
Carbonate minerals
- B.
Native elements
- C.
Fluorescent minerals
- D.
Minerals that have a distinct smell
Correct Answer
B. Native elementsExplanation
Gold, silver, and copper are examples of native elements. Native elements are minerals that occur in nature in their pure form, without being chemically combined with other elements. Gold, silver, and copper are all metals that are found naturally in the Earth's crust. They are highly valued for their beauty, conductivity, and malleability, and have been used by humans for thousands of years for various purposes, including as currency and for making jewelry and tools.Rate this question:
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- 3.
If a mineral breaks along flat or even surfaces, it has
- A.
Luster
- B.
Fracture
- C.
Cleavage
- D.
Streak
Correct Answer
C. CleavageExplanation
If a mineral breaks along flat or even surfaces, it has cleavage. Cleavage is a property of minerals that describes how they break when subjected to stress. Minerals with cleavage break along specific planes of weakness, resulting in smooth, flat surfaces. This is different from fracture, which refers to the way minerals break irregularly and do not produce flat surfaces. Luster refers to the appearance of a mineral's surface in reflected light, and streak refers to the color of a mineral's powdered form.Rate this question:
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- 4.
The Mohs scale measures
- A.
Density of a mineral
- B.
A mineral's hardness
- C.
The luster of a mineral
- D.
A mineral's type of crystalline structure
Correct Answer
B. A mineral's hardnessExplanation
The Mohs scale is a scale used to measure the hardness of minerals. It ranks minerals from 1 to 10 based on their ability to scratch other minerals. Therefore, the correct answer is "a mineral's hardness." The scale is widely used in the field of geology to determine the relative hardness of different minerals and is a useful tool for identifying and classifying minerals based on their physical properties.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Diamond is
- A.
The hardest mineral on the Mohs scale
- B.
A nonmetallic element
- C.
The only mineral with luster
- D.
An iosotope of silicone
Correct Answer
A. The hardest mineral on the Mohs scaleExplanation
Diamond is the hardest mineral on the Mohs scale because it has a perfect crystal structure and strong covalent bonds between its carbon atoms. This gives diamond its exceptional hardness, making it able to scratch and cut through other materials. The Mohs scale is a scale that measures the relative hardness of minerals, with diamond being assigned the highest value of 10.Rate this question:
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- 6.
What does the mineral property of specific gravity measure or describe?
- A.
Describes how easy it is to scratch the surface of a mineral
- B.
Describes how well a mineral reflects light
- C.
Measures the density of the mineral
- D.
The color of the mineral in powdered form
Correct Answer
C. Measures the density of the mineralExplanation
The specific gravity of a mineral measures its density. Density refers to the mass of a substance per unit volume. Therefore, the specific gravity of a mineral indicates how heavy it is compared to an equal volume of water. This property is useful in identifying and classifying minerals, as different minerals have different densities.Rate this question:
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- 7.
What does the mineral property of lustre measure or describe?
- A.
Describes how easy it is to scratch the surface of a mineral
- B.
Describes how well a mineral reflects light
- C.
Measures the density of the mineral
- D.
The color of the mineral in powdered form
Correct Answer
B. Describes how well a mineral reflects lightExplanation
The mineral property of lustre measures or describes how well a mineral reflects light. Lustre refers to the way light interacts with the surface of a mineral. It can range from metallic to non-metallic, and can be described as shiny, dull, or glassy. The lustre of a mineral is determined by the arrangement of its atoms and the way they interact with light.Rate this question:
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- 8.
What does the mineral property of cleavage measure or describe?
- A.
Describes how easy it is to scratch the surface of a mineral
- B.
Describes how well a mineral reflects light
- C.
Measures the density of the mineral
- D.
The color of the mineral in powdered form
Correct Answer
C. Measures the density of the mineralExplanation
Cleavage is a mineral property that measures the tendency of a mineral to break along specific planes, producing smooth and flat surfaces. It is not related to the mineral's density, but rather to its internal structure and the arrangement of its atoms. The ease with which a mineral can be scratched is measured by its hardness, while the ability to reflect light is described by a mineral's luster. The color of a mineral in powdered form is determined by its streak. Therefore, the correct answer is that cleavage measures the tendency of a mineral to break along specific planes, not its density.Rate this question:
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- 9.
What does the mineral property of streak measure or describe?
- A.
Describes how easy it is to scratch the surface of a mineral
- B.
Describes how well a mineral reflects light
- C.
Measures the density of the mineral
- D.
The color of the mineral in powdered form
Correct Answer
D. The color of the mineral in powdered formExplanation
The property of streak measures the color of the mineral in powdered form. This is determined by rubbing the mineral against a porcelain plate or streak plate to produce a streak of powdered mineral. The color of this streak can be different from the color of the mineral itself, providing valuable information for mineral identification.Rate this question:
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- 10.
What are the two main elements that makeup silicate minerals?
- A.
Sulfur and hydrogen
- B.
Carbon and Oxygen
- C.
Silicon and Oxygen
- D.
Silicon and hydrogen
Correct Answer
C. Silicon and OxygenExplanation
Silicate minerals are composed primarily of silicon and oxygen. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, and it forms strong bonds with oxygen to create a tetrahedral structure. This structure is the basis for the various types of silicate minerals, which can have different arrangements and combinations of silicon and oxygen atoms. Silicate minerals make up the majority of the Earth's crust and are essential components of rocks such as granite and basalt.Rate this question:
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Current Version
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Jul 05, 2024Quiz Edited by
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Sep 01, 2008Quiz Created by
Zirkleg