Rock Cycle
Which process in the rock cycle involves the cooling and solidification of magma or lava?
A) Erosion
B) Deposition
C) Weathering
D) Crystallization
D) Crystallization
Which type of igneous rock is formed from rapid cooling above the Earth's surface?
A) Felsic
B) Intermediate
C) Mafic
D) Extrusive
D) Extrusive
Which process is responsible for transforming sediments into sedimentary rocks?
A) Weathering
B) Erosion
C) Lithification
D) Deposition
C) Lithification
What causes metamorphic rocks to undergo a change?
A) Weathering
B) Erosion
C) High heat, pressure, and mineral-rich liquid
D) Sedimentation
C) High heat, pressure, and mineral-rich liquid
Which characteristic of a mineral refers to how easily it can be scratched?
A) Streak
B) Luster
C) Hardness
D) Cleavage
C) Hardness
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of minerals?
A) Naturally occurring
B) Organic
C) Inorganic
D) Solid at room temperature
B) Organic
What is the primary mechanism that creates the structure of minerals?
A) Melting
B) Weathering
C) Bonding between atoms
D) Fracturing
C) Bonding between atoms
What is crystallization in the context of mineral formation?
A) When minerals dissolve into a solution
B) When minerals form from a solution
C) When minerals are weathered by erosion
D) When minerals undergo metamorphism
B) When minerals form from a solution
Which process describes the breakdown of rocks into smaller fragments?
A) Erosion
B) Deposition
C) Weathering
D) Sedimentation
C) Weathering
What type of pressure do rocks experience under the Earth's surface?
A) Atmospheric pressure
B) Thermal pressure
C) Pressure from the rocks on the surface
D) Chemical pressure
C) Pressure from the rocks on the surface
Which type of rock is formed from the accumulation and cementation of sediments?
A) Igneous
B) Metamorphic
C) Sedimentary
D) Volcanic
C) Sedimentary
What characterizes the texture of extrusive igneous rocks?
A) Coarse-grained
B) Fine-grained
C) Porous
D) Glassy
B) Fine-grained
How are clastic sedimentary rocks primarily identified?
A) By color
B) By mineral composition
C) By grain size
D) By fossil content
C) By grain size
What is a protolith rock in the context of metamorphic rocks?
A) The rock formed by weathering
B) The rock after metamorphism
C) The original or parent rock
D) The sedimentary rock before lithification
C) The original or parent rock
What does the streak of a mineral refer to?
A) Its color when polished
B) Its resistance to scratching
C) The color of its finely ground particles
D) Its ability to reflect light
C) The color of its finely ground particles
What is a key aspect of minerals' internal structure?
A) Random arrangement of atoms
B) Lack of definite chemical composition
C) Ordered crystalline structure
D) Liquid state at room temperature
C) Ordered crystalline structure
How can minerals be described?
A) By color only
B) By composition
C) By texture only
D) By weight
B) By composition
Which of the following is an example of crystallization from a solution?
A) Sedimentary rock formation
B) Salt precipitating from a salty lake
C) Weathering of rocks
D) Volcanic eruption
B) Salt precipitating from a salty lake
What are three examples of weathering processes?
A) Melting, sublimation, condensation
B) Evaporation, sublimation, condensation
C) Wind blowing, water flowing, freeze/thaw cycles
D) Melting, freezing, sublimation
C) Wind blowing, water flowing, freeze/thaw cycles
What are glaciers?
A) Fast-moving rivers
B) Large mountains
C) Huge slow-moving masses of ice that weather and erode the land
D) Volcanoes
C) Huge slow-moving masses of ice that weather and erode the land
What process is responsible for the transformation of one type of rock into another due to heat and pressure?
A) Weathering
B) Erosion
C) Metamorphism
D) Deposition
C) Metamorphism
Where are intrusive igneous rocks typically found?
A) Above the Earth's surface
B) Near volcanoes
C) Below the Earth's surface
D) In sedimentary layers
C) Below the Earth's surface
What grain size categorizes sediment as "coarse" in clastic sedimentary rocks?
A) Less than 1/256 millimeters
B) Greater than 2 millimeters
C) Between 1/256 millimeters and 2 millimeters
D) Less than 2 millimeters
B) Greater than 2 millimeters
How is the amount of metamorphic change categorized?
A) By color
B) By mineral hardness
C) By foliation
D) By grade
D) By grade
How many categories does luster have, and which category describes a mineral that looks like a metal?
A) One; glassy
B) Two; dull
C) Two; metallic
D) Three; waxy
C) Two; metallic
How are minerals primarily identified?
A) By taste
B) By weight
C) By color
D) By physical properties
D) By physical properties
What are polymorphs in mineralogy?
A) Minerals with the same chemical formula but different colors
B) Minerals with the same chemical formula but different crystal structures
C) Minerals with the same crystal structure but different compositions
D) Minerals with identical properties
B) Minerals with the same chemical formula but different crystal structures
What is Igneous crystallization?
A) Formation of minerals through weathering
B) Formation of minerals by hydrothermal fluid
C) Formation of minerals by solidification of magma or lava
D) Formation of minerals through metamorphism
C) Formation of minerals by solidification of magma or lava
What is erosion primarily caused by?
A) Biological activity
B) The force of gravity
C) Volcanic activity
D) Atmospheric pressure
B) The force of gravity
How was the Grand Canyon in Arizona primarily formed?
A) By volcanic activity
B) By sedimentation
C) By metamorphism
D) By millions of years of weathering and erosion
D) By millions of years of weathering and erosion
Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of transportation in the rock cycle?
A) Wind
B) Water
C) Gravity
D) Sublimation
D) Sublimation
Which type of igneous rock is characterized by its dark color and composition?
A) Felsic
B) Intermediate
C) Mafic
D) Vesicular
C) Mafic
Which process is characteristic of the formation of chemical sedimentary rocks like Potash rocks?
A) Weathering
B) Erosion
C) Lithification
D) Evaporation
D) Evaporation
What type of change characterizes high-grade metamorphism?
A) High temperature and low pressure
B) Low temperature and low pressure
C) Low temperature and high pressure
D) High temperature and high pressure
D) High temperature and high pressure
What does cleavage describe in minerals?
A) Their ability to reflect light
B) How easily they can be scratched
C) How they break into flat surfaces
D) Their resistance to weathering
C) How they break into flat surfaces
In which types of rocks do most minerals occur?
A) Sedimentary
B) Igneous and metamorphic
C) Metamorphic and sedimentary
D) Igneous and sedimentary
B) Igneous and metamorphic
How do crystals primarily form?
A) By melting
B) Through erosion
C) By nucleation and bonding
D) By evaporation
C) By nucleation and bonding
What is Bowen's Reaction Series related to?
A) Weathering processes
B) Sedimentary rock formation
C) Sequence of minerals crystallizing from magma
D) Types of minerals formed from hydrothermal fluids
C) Sequence of minerals crystallizing from magma
Which of the following is NOT a significant agent of erosion?
A) Water
B) Waves
C) Lightning
D) Wind
C) Lightning
What characteristics do minerals that fracture typically exhibit?
A) Smooth surfaces
B) Shiny surfaces
C) Round edges
D) Jagged edges
D) Jagged edges
What type of rock is formed by the cooling and solidification of molten rock?
A) Sedimentary
B) Metamorphic
C) Igneous
D) Conglomerate
C) Igneous
What is a distinguishing feature of felsic igneous rocks?
A) Rapid cooling
B) Dark color
C) Silicate composition
D) Shiny appearance
D) Shiny appearance
Which type of sedimentary rock is formed from the remains of organisms or plants?
A) Chalk
B) Coal
C) Limestone
D) Potash
C) Limestone
Where do gemstones typically occur in the context of metamorphic processes?
A) Around riverbeds
B) Near glaciers
C) Around magma chambers
D) Deep in the ocean
C) Around magma chambers
What term is used to describe the way a mineral breaks if it doesn't break into flat surfaces?
A) Luster
B) Streak
C) Cleavage
D) Fracture
D) Fracture
Which of the following statements about identifying minerals is true?
A) Only one test is needed to identify a mineral.
B) Color is the least useful property in identifying a mineral.
C) Minerals are identified primarily by their taste.
D) A combination of many tests is required to identify a mineral.
D) A combination of many tests is required to identify a mineral.
What part of a crystal is the most recently formed?
A) The core
B) The center
C) The outer edge
D) The surface
C) The outer edge
In what process does organic crystallization occur?
A) Sedimentation
B) Erosion
C) Biomineralization
D) Metamorphism
C) Biomineralization
When does deposition occur?
A) When rocks break down
B) During the process of erosion
C) When sediment is transported
D) When sediment is dropped in a new location
D) When sediment is dropped in a new location
What process occurs when rocks are physically broken down into smaller pieces?
A) Erosion
B) Chemical weathering
C) Mechanical weathering
D) Deposition
C) Mechanical weathering