Name: ______Date: ______Block: _____
Minerals Test
Multiple Choice - Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____1.Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a mineral?
a. / It is formed in nature. / c. / It has a crystalline structure.b. / It is a living material. / d. / It is a solid.
____2.What are the two major groups of minerals?
a. / metallic and nonmetallic / c. / silicates and nonsilicatesb. / native elements and carbonates / d. / quartz and mica
____3.A silicate mineral must contain
a. / silicon and oxygen. / c. / carbon and hydrogen.b. / oxygen and carbon. / d. / silicon and carbon.
____4.Nonsilicate minerals
a. / do not contain oxygen. / c. / all have a nonmetallic luster.b. / include native elements. / d. / are all rare substances.
____5.The color of the powder that a mineral leaves on a piece of white, unglazed porcelain is called the mineral’s
a. / color. / c. / streak.b. / luster. / d. / scratch.
____6.What is a mineral deposit that is large and pure enough to be mined called?
a. / gemstone / c. / plutonb. / ore / d. / pegmatite
____7.What kinds of mines are open pit and quarry mines?
a. / shaft mines / c. / surface minesb. / slope mines / d. / subsurface mines
____8.What is the name for nonmetallic minerals that are values for their beauty and rarity rather than their usefulness?
a. / plutons / c. / oresb. / gemstones / d. / pegmatites
____9.A repeating pattern of atoms, ions, or molecules in a mineral is called
a. / mineral structure. / c. / crystalline structure.b. / compound structure. / d. / elemental structure.
____10.The potentially harmful effects of mining can be reduced by
a. / reclamation of the land. / c. / using more metals.b. / strip mining. / d. / flushing mines with water.
____11.Which mineral is the most resistant to scratching?
a. / fluorite / c. / diamondb. / talc / d. / gypsum
____12.Besides air and water, what can change the color of a mineral?
a. / pyrite / c. / streakb. / location / d. / impurities
____13.On what type of surface does a fracture happen?
a. / smooth / c. / flatb. / curved / d. / bright
____14.What is the softest mineral on the Mohs scale?
a. / diamond / c. / topazb. / gypsum / d. / talc
Completion - Complete each statement.
15.A mineral must have a definite ______structure.
16.A mineral of any given hardness will scratch a mineral that is ______than it is.
17.Luster, color, streak, cleavage, hardness, and density are all ______of minerals.
18.More than 90% of Earth’s crust is made up of ______minerals.
19.The measure of how much matter is in a given space is called ______.
20.The most common classification of minerals is based on ______composition.
21.A natural material deposit that is large enough and pure enough to be mined for profit is a(n) ______.
Short Answer
22.When identifying minerals, why is streak more reliable than color? ______
23.Name two methods of mining minerals, and explain when each method might be used. ______
Essay
24.Determine if each of the following is a mineral or a nonmineral, and explain your answers: helium, gold, water, ice. ______