Minerals & Rock Test Review
Name: ___________________________________
Your test contains 40 questions that are broken into reading comprehension, diagram
identification, multiple choice, matching and mineral identification questions.
Reading comprehension
Use the following passage written by Dr. Theodor Graintermopolus- Associate Dean for the
Athens Chapter of the Geological Society; Athens University to answer the following questions.
We have discovered the grain size is one of the most essential tools, we as geologists have to
discover the type of rock we are looking at. With the rich history of Greece and the original
Greek empire, we as a society have developed the standard for grain size classification. The
major types of grain size are course-grained and fine-grained. In a course-grained texture
sample the grains in the rock are large and easy to see. On the other hand, fine-grained samples
have grains that are so small that they can only be seen with a microscope. If you look at the
attached picture you will notice that there is a large difference between the fine-grained slate and
the course-grained diorite.
1. Who is the author of this article? ______________________________________________________
2. Which University put out this article?__________________________________________________
3. What has Greece as a society developed? _____________________________________________
4. What is an example of a fine-grained rock? _____________________
5. What is an example of a course-grained rock? ______________________
6. Which type of rock would you use a microscope for? ___________________________________
Diagram identification
7. How would you change a sedimentary
rock to an igneous rock?
8. How would Granite (an igneous rock)
change to Gneiss (a metamorphic rock)
9. What two processes convert igneous
rock and magma back and forth from one form
to another?
10. Which type of rock is being identified in this chart? ____________________________________
11. Halite is to rock salt as Calcite is to ___________________________
12. What is the element that you find in all bioclastic only rocks? _______________________
13. Identify the rock name of all rocks that have considered clastic.
14. Which type of rock is being identified in this chart? ____________________________
15. Which rock is changed only by contact? ____________________________
16. Limestone is to Marble as Shale is to ______________________________
17. What is the only course-grained nonfoliated rock? _________________________
18. Which mineral will you find in small quantities of schist and all in gneiss? ________________
Multiple choice
19. Name all the processes that exist on the rock cycle.
20. What is erosion? ____________________________________________________________________
21. What is deposition? _________________________________________________________________
22. What is compaction? ________________________________________________________________
23. What is cementation? _______________________________________________________________
24. What geological feature would you find near igneous rocks? ____________________________
25. What geological feature would you find near sedimentary rocks? ________________________
26. How are igneous rocks formed? ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
27. How are sedimentary rocks formed? __________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
28. How are metamorphic rocks formed? _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Matching
Match the correct rock type to the following rocks. Write I for igneous, S for sedimentary and M
for metamorphic
29. Slate _____
30. Conglomerate _____
31. Marble _____
32. Gneiss _____
33. Pumice _____
34. Limestone _____
35. Obsidian _____
36. Basalt _____
37. Shale _____
38. Granite _____
39. Sandstone _____
Mineral Identification
Use the attached mineral ID chart to name the proper element that is being described.
Mohs hardness: Fingernail (2 to 2.5), Penny (3), Iron nail (4), Glass plate (5.5) Streak plate
(6.5 to 7)
Luster
Hardness
Cleavage
NM
1
M
1
NM
2
NM
2
Yes
M
2.5
Yes
NM
NM
3
4
Yes
Yes
M
5.5
NM
5.5
NM
7
NM = nonmetal
Fracture
Characteristics
Color(s)
Yes
Greasy feel
Yes
Black streak. Is used
in pencil lead
Foul smell (like
rotten eggs)
Easily scratched by
fingernail
Very heavy. Gray
streak
Bubbles with acid
Cleaves in 4
directions
Attracted to a
magnet
Crystal-like structure
White to
gray
Silver to
gray
Yellow to
amber
White to
pink
Metallic
Silver
Colorless
Colorless
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Glassy luster
Black to
silver
Black to
dark green
Dark red to
green
Mineral
Name
Talc
Graphite
Sulfur
Gypsum
Galena
Calcite
Fluorite
Magnetite
Hornblende
Garnet
M=metal
40. This mineral would be scratched by the fingernail and a penny. ____________________
41. This mineral would be attracted to the iron nail. __________________________
42. This mineral has jagged surfaces and looks very shiny and smooth on the surface.
________________________________
43. This mineral is scratched by the fingernail only. There are flat faces on the rock and the
weight of the rock is very heavy. __________________________
44. This nonmetal mineral has jagged edges. If you took a whiff of it, you would need to open a
window. ______________________________
45. This nonmetal has flat faces. It is scratched by a fingernail, penny, iron nail and glass plate.
________________________________