Minerals Test – Mr. Truscello – Grade 6 – Science – Room 224/B
1-15 Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____
1. A mineral is inorganic, which means that it contains
a. compounds.
b. materials made by humans.
c. parts of living things.
d. no materials that were once part of living things.
____
2. The color of a mineral’s powder is called its
a. streak.
b. luster.
c. density.
d. hardness.
____
3. If you broke a mineral into tiny pieces, each piece would
a. still show the same crystal structure.
b. have the same shape.
c. be roughly the same size.
d. be metallic.
____
4. A narrow channel or slab of a mineral that is different from the surrounding rock is called a
a. vein.
b. solution.
c. crystal.
d. metal.
____
5. Magma that cools very slowly deep beneath the surface forms minerals with what type of crystals?
a. small
b. large
c. very hard
d. cubic
____
6. A rock that contains a metal or other useful mineral that can be mined and sold at a profit is called a(n)
a. ore.
b. gem.
c. gemstone.
d. crystal.
____
7. A hard, colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster is a(n)
a. alloy.
b. pure metal.
c. ore.
d. gemstone.
____
8. After miners remove ore from a mine, what process removes the metal from the ore?
a. evaporation
b. settling
c. smelting
d. crystallization
____
9. An example of a mineral made up of a pure element is
a. coal.
b. copper.
c. quartz.
d. glass.
____ 10. The repeating pattern of a mineral’s particles forms a solid called a(n)
a. crystal.
b. element.
c. compound.
d. rock.
____ 11. What is the hardest known mineral?
a. talc
b. quartz
c. diamond
d. gold
____ 12. Which term refers to anyone who searches for an ore deposit?
a. geologist
b. prospector
c. miner
d. mineral specialist
____ 13. Most minerals do NOT split apart evenly. Instead, they have a characteristic type of
a. cleavage.
b. fracture.
c. crystal.
d. luster.
____ 14. The term used to describe how light is reflected from a mineral’s surface is
a. fluorescence.
b. streak.
c. density.
d. luster.
____ 15. The softest mineral on the Mohs hardness scale is
a. quartz.
b. talc.
c. apatite.
d. gypsum.
16-21 Short Answer
Use the diagram to answer each question.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES
Mohs Hardness Scale
Mineral
Hardness
Talc
1
Gypsum
2
Calcite
3
Fluorite
4
Apatite
5
Feldspar
6
Quartz
7
Topaz
8
Corundum
9
Diamond
10
16. What would happen if you rubbed a piece of fluorite against a piece of feldspar?
17. What would you expect to happen if you rubbed a mineral of hardness 7.5 against a piece of quartz?
18. If an unknown mineral has a hardness between 5 and 9, what could you do to the mineral to find out more about its
hardness?
19. Which minerals in the table will scratch quartz?
20. List the following minerals in order of decreasing hardness: apatite, calcite, corundum, feldspar, and talc.
21. An unknown mineral scratches apatite and is scratched by corundum. What can you conclude about this mineral’s
hardness?
22 to 26 Listing
Write the Five Characteristics that every mineral must have to be a mineral in the blanks
22 to 26.
27 to 34 – Matching
Write the letter of the term that matches best with the numbered properties of a mineral.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
Color
Streak
Luster
Density
Hardness
Crystal System
Cleavage and Fracture
Special Properties
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
mass in a given space
pattern repeated over and over in the shape of its structure
some minerals are magnetic or glow in the dark
easiest characteristic to observe
color of its powder
the way a mineral breaks apart
how light is reflected from a mineral’s surface
you use a scratch test to determine this property