Ch. 5 Minerals – Quiz STUDY GUIDE
Name ______________________
Due Date _________ Block _____
Earth Science
1. Most minerals are _________________ (contains atoms of two or more elements that are combined).
2. Native Elements (also called Native Minerals) contain only one _________________.
3. The internal arrangement of ____________ determines the hardness, crystal shape and breakage of a mineral.
4. Minerals that break evenly along smooth, flat planes are said to have __________________.
5. ___________________ refers to how light is reflected off the surface of a mineral.
6. Friedrich ________ developed the hardness scale for minerals.
7. Minerals on the hardness scale are arranged according to their resistance to being __________________.
8. ____________ is an unreliable test for mineral identification.
9. _______________, ______________, and ________________ are the three most abundant elements in the
Earth’s crust.
10. A _________________ test is used to find the color of the powder of a mineral.
11. Scratching a mineral across a glass plate is a method used to determine a mineral’s _______________.
12. What property of quartz accounts for its abundance? ______________________
13. The mineral Quartz (SiO2) belongs to the __________________ group.
14. The mineral ________________ fizzes when hydrochloric acid is placed on it.
15. The mineral Hematite is an ore of iron and has a ___________________ streak.
16. The mineral ______________ is also known as “Fool’s Gold.”
17. The mineral ________ breaks into thin, flat sheets.
18. The hardness of a fingernail is __________. Name two minerals, from the lab, that are softer than human
fingernail: __________________ __________________
19. Gemstones are located on Mohs scale at a hardness level of at least ____.
20. The yellow mineral _____________ is easily identified by its smell.
21. Which group of rock-forming minerals makes up 90% of Earth’s crust? _____________________
22. Among all the varieties of Quartz, the property of _____________ varies the most from sample to sample.
23. The ______________ ___________________ is the basic structural unit of most Silicate minerals, which all
contain _____________ & _______________.
24. Be able to compare the hardness of minerals according to the Mohs Hardness scale and the hardness of some
common objects.
Mohs Hardness Scale
Talc
Gypsum
Calcite
Fluorite
Apatite
Feldspar
Quartz
Topaz
Corundum
Diamond
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Hardness of
Common Objects
Fingernail (2.5)
Which minerals can scratch a steel file?
____________________________________________________
Penny (3.5)
What mineral scratches Apatite but is scratched by Quartz? _________
Iron Nail (4.5)
Which minerals are scratched by Calcite? ________________________
Glass (5.5)
Which mineral scratches an iron nail but not glass? ___________
Steel File (6.5)
What two minerals can scratch Quartz but not Diamond?
Streak Plate (7)
______________________________________________
Short Answer and Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
25. List the 5 characteristics of a mineral.
1. ____________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________
26. Why is diamond so much more resistant to scratching than graphite?
__________________________________________________________________________________
27. Explain the difference between a mineral compound and a native element.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
28. Name the three processes in which minerals form:
1. ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________