Name _________________________________ Chapter 6 Study Guide
1. What is a mineral?
A naturally occurring solid that can form by inorganic processes and that has a crystal structure and a definite
chemical composition.
2. What are the five required characteristics that a specimen must have to be considered a mineral?
Naturally occurring
Solid
Inorganic process
Crystal structure
Definite chemical composition
3. What does it mean if a mineral is inorganic?
Mineral is composed of no material that was once part of living creatures.
4. What is an example of a mineral made up of a pure element?
Gold, copper, iron
5. What is the repeating pattern of a mineral’s particles called? Crystal
6. What is the color of a mineral’s powder called? Streak
7. When is the property called when a mineral breaks unevenly? Fracture
8. What is the property called when a mineral splits along flat surfaces? Cleavage
9. What is the Mohs hardness scale? Scale ranging from 1 to 10 that is used to test the hardness of
minerals.
10. What is the hardest known mineral? Diamond
11. What is luster? The way a mineral reflects light from its surface
12. How can minerals form?
From evaporating solutions
From hot solutions cooling
From magma or lava cooling
Through an organic process.
13. How are rocks related to minerals? Rocks are a mixture of minerals
14. What is a grain? The particles of minerals that give a rock its texture
15. When all the grains in a rock are large and easy to see, what is the rock described as? Coarse
16. What other properties of grains is considered when identifying a rock besides grain size? Pattern &
Shape
17. What are the three types of rocks? Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic
18. What is the origin of the three types of rocks / How are they formed?
Metamorphic – heat & pressure
Igneous – molten rock solidifies
Sedimentary – sediment compacting and cementing
19. What are the two types of igneous rocks and how are they different from one another?
Extrusive igneous – small crystals b/c lava cools quickly
Intrusive igneous – large crystals b/c magma cools slowly
20. What step in the rock cycle would be required to change granite (igneous rock) into sandstone
(sedimentary rock)? Weathering, erosion, deposition, compacting & cementation.
21. What can cause sedimentary rock to change into metamorphic rock? Heat and pressure
22. When a substance is dissolved in water, what is the mixture called? Solution
23. What is the series of processes known as when rocks slowly changes from one kind to another kind?
Rock cycle
Using Science Skills - Use the figure below to answer the following questions in the spaces provided.
24. Which minerals in the table will scratch Topaz? Corundum and Diamond
25. List the following minerals in order of decreasing hardness: fluorite, gypsum, diamond and topaz
Diamond
Topaz
Fluorite
Gypsum
26. An unknown mineral scratches feldspar and is scratched by topaz. Which mineral from the list above is the
unknown mineral? Quartz
Using Science Skills Label the figure below
27. What step in the rock cycle creates the sediment from which sedimentary rock is formed? Weathering.
28. In the rock cycle, what happens to magma and lava once they cool and harden? They solidify and become
igneous rock
29. Describe two pathways through the rock cycle in which igneous rock can become metamorphic rock.
1) Directly metamorphic through heat & pressure
2) Become sedimentary then metamorphic through heat & pressure