Mineralogy Quiz: Properties and Identification

Classifications of minerals based on chemical composition.

Minerals composed of a single element, like gold, platinum, and iron.

Minerals with the chemical formula CO3 and are usually soft.

The most common mineral group at the Earth's surface.

A scale ranking minerals from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond) based on hardness.

The color of powder left when a mineral is scraped on a streak plate.

The tendency of a mineral to break along preferred planes.

How light reflects from a mineral's surface; types include metallic and nonmetallic.

The ratio of the density of a mineral to the density of water.

A method to observe a mineral's fluorescence under ultraviolet light.

Sulfur is identified by its distinctive color and smell.

There are approximately 2500 identified minerals, with 15 common in rocks.

The three main types of rocks are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.