Mineral Definition
Mineral Groups
Mineral Properties
Mineral Formation
General Knowledge
100

What state of matter are minerals found in?

Solid

100
How are minerals put into groups? In other words, what makes them different?

Chemical composition/ element arrangement

100

What is it called when we look at the color of a mineral when it is powdered/crushed?

Streak

100

What has to cool in a volcanic environment to make a mineral?

Magma or lava

100

Where are protons located in an atom?

In the nucleus

200

True or false: minerals can be man-made.

FALSE

200

What are native element minerals made of?

Only one type of element

200

What is the test that uses the mass and volume of a mineral?

Density/specific gravity

200

What type of environment do diamonds form in?

High heat and pressure

200

Name two of the four most common minerals in Earth's crust.

Oxygen, aluminum, iron, silicon

300

True or false: some minerals are made of living things

FALSE

300

Which mineral group is magnetic?

Oxides

300

What is effervescence?

Reaction to acid

300

What is a precipitate?

A solid

300

The building blocks of minerals are called...

Atoms!

400

Each sample of the same mineral always contains the same stuff. What part of the mineral definition is this?

Defined chemical composition

400

Which mineral group is effervescent?

Carbonates

400

If a mineral scratches a fingernail and a penny but not a glass plate, what is its hardness?

Between 3.5 and 5.5

400

What is a saturated solution?

A mixture that has something dissolved in it. It cannot dissolve any more of the substance.

400

What is graphite used for?

Pencil lead

500

Why is diamond so hard while graphite is so soft? They are both primarily made of carbon, so why are they different?

They have different element arrangements. Graphite has lots of space between atoms, while diamond is very close together.
500

Which mineral group is most common in Earth's crust, and what percent of the crust does it make up?

Silicates; 90%

500

If a mineral has no streak, a hardness of 10, and looks glassy, what is it?

Diamond

500

How does the evaporation of liquids contribute to the formation of minerals?

When liquid evaporates, solid materials are left behind.

500
What is the scale that we use to measure hardness called?

Mohs Hardness Scale