Regional Meet—Coolidge Middle School
December 17, 2011
Rocks & Minerals
Test Questions & Answer Key
Station Number: 1
Samples at Station: sandstone
Question: Identify this rock by name. Of what mineral is it primarily composed? What is the
hardness of that mineral?
Answer: sandstone; quartz; 7
Station Number: 2
Samples at Station: azurite, dolomite, malachite, sodalite
Question: Which of these minerals is not a carbonate? How would you test them to find out?
What are the names of the three that are carbonates?
Answer: sodalite; effervescence in hydrochloric acid; azurite/dolomite/malachite
Station Number: 3
Samples at Station: conglomerate, breccia, bituminous coal, travertine limestone
Question: Classify each of these sedimentary rocks as either clastic, chemical, or organic. For
each rock, indicate whether it formed by: a. compression of plant material, b. cementation of
rock fragments at the base of a cliff, c. crystalline deposits in caves or hot springs, d.
cementation of rock fragments in a river
Answer: conglomerate = clastic, d; breccia = clastic, b; bituminous coal = organic, a; travertine
limestone = chemical, c
Station Number: 4
Samples at Station: rhyolite, granite, diorite
Question: Name these three igneous rocks. Then identify each one as either intrusive or
extrusive.
Answer: rhyolite = extrusive, granite & diorite = intrusive
Station Number: 5
Samples at Station: apatite, calcite, talc, quartz
Question: Rank these minerals in order from softest to hardest. Then identify them by name.
Answer: talc (1), calcite (3), apatite (5), quartz (7)
Station Number: 6
Samples at Station: barite, tremolite
Question: Identify these 2 minerals by name. Which one has a lower specific gravity?
Generally speaking: a. light-colored minerals have low specific gravity, b. metallic minerals
have high specific gravity, c. neither a nor b, d. both a and b
Answer: tremolite and barite; tremolite; d
Station Number: 7
Samples at Station: oolitic limestone, crystalline limestone, fossiliferous limestone, chalk
limestone
Question: Identify each of these four limestones as a. oolitic, b. crystalline, c. fossiliferous, or
d. chalk
Answer: (students will match the name to the number of the appropriate specimen)
Station Number: 8
Samples at Station: muscovite mica
Question: Identify this mineral. What is one commercial use of this mineral? a. electrical
insulator, b. soap, c. copper ore, d. gemstone
Answer: muscovite mica, a. electrical insulator
Station Number: 9
Samples at Station: diatomite
Question: Identify this rock. What is one commercial use of this rock? a. monuments and
gravestones, b. ceramics, c. pool filters, d. cement
Answer: diatomite, c. pool filters
Station Number: 10
Samples at Station: pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite
Question: What chemical family do all these minerals belong to? Minerals from this family: a.
are often found in igneous rocks, b. effervesce in hydrochloric acid, c. are often ores of metals.
True or False: They can form in hydrothermal veins?
Answer: sulfides, c, true
Station Number: 11
Samples at Station: bauxite, hematite, sphalerite, galena, bornite
Question: Identify these minerals by name. Each one is an important ore of a different metal.
Match each mineral to a metal which it contains. a. aluminum, b. iron, c. lead, d. zinc, e.
copper
Answer: bauxite = a, hematite = b, galena = c, sphalerite = d, bornite = e
Station Number: 12
Samples at Station: quartzite, slate, marble, gneiss
Question: Identify each of these metamorphic rocks by name. Then name the parent rock for
each one.
Answer: quartzite from sandstone, slate from shale, marble from limestone, gneiss from granite
Station Number: 13
Samples at Station: augite, aragonite, beryl, ulexite, rhodonite
Question: Identify each of these minerals by name. For each mineral, choose which of these
properties would be most helpful for identification: a. color, b. hardness, c. light transmission,
d. luster, e. effervescence in hydrochloric acid, f. magnetism, g. streak
Answer: augite = g, aragonite = e, beryl = b, ulexite = c, rhodonite = a
Station Number: 14
Samples at Station: obsidian, slate, lignite coal, shale, basalt
Question: Identify each of these rocks by name. Then identify each one as igneous,
sedimentary, or metamorphic.
Answer: obsidian = igneous, slate = metamorphic, lignite coal = sedimentary, shale =
sedimentary, basalt = igneous
Station Number: 15
Samples at Station: quartz, calcite, selenite gypsum, ulexite, halite
Question: Identify each of these minerals by name.
Answer: Students will record the name of each mineral next to its specimen number.
Invitational Meet—Coolidge Middle School
December 17, 2011
Rocks & Minerals
Student Response Form
You will have 3 minutes at each station. You may begin at any station, but once we start
you must visit each station in the correct order without skipping any. You will not have the
opportunity to go back to any stations, although we will use any extra time at the end to
discuss test questions and answers. You may refer to rock and mineral specimens by their
numbers unless you are specifically asked to identify them by name.
STATION 1: Name of Rock: ___________________________________
Primary Mineral: __________________________________
Hardness of Primary Mineral: ________________________
STATION 2: Not a Carbonate (number): ___________________________________
How to test: ________________________________________
Carbonate Minerals (numbers & names): ________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
STATION 3: Number: ______ Classification: ____________________ Formation: ______
Number: ______ Classification: ____________________ Formation: ______
Number: ______ Classification: ____________________ Formation: ______
Number: ______ Classification: ____________________ Formation: ______
STATION 4: # & Name of Rock: ________________________ Type: _________________
# & Name of Rock: ________________________ Type: _________________
# & Name of Rock: ________________________ Type: _________________
STATION 5: Softest Mineral (# & name): ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Hardest Mineral: _________________________________________________
STATION 6: Mineral Identification (# and name): ________________________
_________________________
Lower Specific Gravity: ________________________________
Multiple Choice Answer: _____________
STATION 7: Number: _________________________ Name: ________________________
Number: _________________________ Name: ________________________
Number: _________________________ Name: ________________________
Number: _________________________ Name: ________________________
STATION 8: Name of Mineral: ____________________________ Use: _______________
STATION 9: Name of Rock: ______________________________ Use: _______________
STATION 10: Chemical Family _______________
Multiple Choice Question: ______________
True/False Question: ______________
STATION 11: # & Name of Mineral: _____________________ Metal: ________________
# & Name of Mineral: _____________________ Metal: ________________
# & Name of Mineral: _____________________ Metal: ________________
# & Name of Mineral: _____________________ Metal: ________________
# & Name of Mineral: _____________________ Metal: ________________
STATION 12: # & Name of Rock: _____________________ Parent Rock: _____________
# & Name of Rock: _____________________ Parent Rock: _____________
# & Name of Rock: _____________________ Parent Rock: _____________
# & Name of Rock: _____________________ Parent Rock: _____________
STATION 13: # & Name____________________________ Best Property _______________
# & Name____________________________ Best Property _______________
# & Name____________________________ Best Property _______________
# & Name____________________________ Best Property _______________
# & Name____________________________ Best Property _______________
STATION 14: # & Name _________________________ Rock Type ___________________
# & Name _________________________ Rock Type ___________________
# & Name _________________________ Rock Type ___________________
# & Name _________________________ Rock Type ___________________
# & Name _________________________ Rock Type ___________________
STATION 15: Number____________________ Name______________________________
Number____________________ Name______________________________
Number____________________ Name______________________________
Number____________________ Name______________________________
Number____________________ Name______________________________