Geosphere and Mineral Properties Quiz

Natural substances found in the earth's crust, formed by geological processes.

The way a mineral's surface reflects light, describing its shine.

The color of a mineral's powder when rubbed on a streak plate.

A measure of how resistant a mineral is to scratching.

The tendency of a mineral to break along smooth, flat surfaces.

The tendency of a mineral to break along irregular, uneven surfaces.

Solid, naturally occurring materials composed of minerals and other substances.

Loose, weathered material at the Earth's surface where plants grow, formed from interaction of rocks, air, water, and organisms.

The top layer of soil, rich in organic matter, making it the darkest layer.

Forms beneath the A horizon, where clay particles carried by water accumulate.

The deepest soil layer, composed of weathered parent materials, like rocks or sediments.

The thinnest and least dense layer of Earth, composed of oceanic and continental crust.

Solid, rocky middle layer of Earth, with the highest volume.

A layer of Earth composed of the crust and uppermost mantle, forming a rigid, brittle layer.

A partially melted, weak layer within the upper mantle.

The extremely dense, metallic center of Earth, divided into a solid inner core and a liquid outer core.

The basic building blocks of rocks, soil, and metals. They have specific physical properties that help identify them.

The way a mineral's surface reflects light. It can be shiny, dull, or somewhere in between.

The color of a mineral's powder when rubbed against a streak plate. Can be different from the mineral's surface color.

How hard a mineral is. Measured on the Mohs Hardness Scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).

The tendency of a mineral to break along smooth, flat surfaces.

The tendency of a mineral to break along irregular, uneven surfaces.

Naturally occurring solid materials made of minerals and other materials. Classified into three main types: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.

Rocks formed when molten rock material cools and hardens. Can be formed deep inside the Earth as magma cools or when lava flows on the surface.

Rocks formed when igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks are subjected to high temperatures and pressures, altering their texture or composition.

Rocks formed from sediment (rock fragments) that are compressed and cemented together over time. The sediment is often eroded by water, wind, and ice.

The uppermost layer of soil, rich in organic matter, making it the darkest layer.

The layer below the A horizon, formed by the deposition of clay particles carried by water.

The deepest soil layer, composed of weathered parent materials like rocks or sediments.

The outermost, thinnest layer of Earth, composed of oceanic and continental crust.

The thick, rocky middle layer of Earth, containing the largest volume.

A brittle outer layer of Earth, formed by the crust and uppermost mantle.

A weak, partially melted layer within the upper mantle.

The dense metallic center of Earth, divided into a solid inner core and a liquid outer core.

The liquid outer layer of Earth's core, created by extreme temperatures.

The solid inner sphere of Earth's core, despite extremely high temperatures.

The process of rocks transforming due to intense heat and pressure, altering their texture or chemical makeup, forming new rocks.

A scale that ranks minerals from 1 to 10 based on their hardness, with talc being the softest and diamond the hardest.