Earth Science Quarter 1: Rock-Forming Minerals
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of the Mohs Hardness Scale?

  • To measure the scratch resistance of minerals (correct)
  • To categorize minerals based on color
  • To arrange minerals by their density
  • To identify minerals based on their crystal shape
  • Which property of minerals refers to how light is reflected from their surface?

  • Streak
  • Cleavage
  • Luster (correct)
  • Color
  • Which of the following is true regarding the property of streak?

  • Streak is the color of a mineral in powdered form (correct)
  • Streak is always white for all minerals
  • Streak refers to the color of a mineral in its crystal form
  • Streak can be varied depending on the luster of the mineral
  • Which mineral is known to have the highest ranking on the Mohs Hardness Scale?

    <p>Diamond</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic of minerals refers to their ability to break along preferred planes?

    <p>Cleavage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Specific gravity is defined as the ratio of which two weights?

    <p>Weight of a mineral and an equal volume of water</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which property is considered less useful for mineral identification despite being obvious?

    <p>Color</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which term describes the characteristic shape or arrangement of mineral crystals?

    <p>Crystal Form Habit</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Minerals and Their Composition

    • Minerals consist of one or more chemical elements with a definite chemical composition.
    • Unlike rocks, minerals cannot be divided into smaller units with different chemical compositions.

    Physical Properties of Minerals

    • Luster: Refers to the way light reflects off a mineral's surface.

    • Hardness:

      • Indicates the mineral's ability to resist scratching.
      • Measured using the Mohs Hardness Scale, developed by Friedrich Mohs.
      • Scale ranges from 1 (softest, talc) to 10 (hardest, diamond).
    • Crystal Form Habit:

      • The characteristic shape of an individual mineral crystal or a group of crystals.
    • Color:

      • A visible characteristic, but not always reliable for identification.
      • Results from the absorption of certain light wavelengths.
    • Streak:

      • The color of a mineral in its powdered form.
      • Useful for identifying metallic and earthy minerals; non-metallic minerals typically leave a white streak.
      • Example: Hematite produces a consistent reddish-brown streak.
    • Cleavage:

      • Refers to a mineral's ability to break along preferred planes.
      • Cleavage occurs in different dimensions (one to six), which aids in identification.
    • Fracture:

      • Describes how a mineral breaks unevenly or irregularly.
    • Specific Gravity:

      • Represents the “heaviness” of a mineral.
      • Defined as the ratio of the mineral’s weight to the weight of an equal volume of water (water has a specific gravity of 1).

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    Description

    Explore the essential characteristics of rock-forming minerals in this quiz. Learn about the chemical composition, physical properties, and the significance of minerals in geological processes. Test your understanding of luster and other mineral properties.

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