Properties of Minerals | Earth Science | Quiz

Which of the following physical properties is likely to be most useful in identifying a mineral? (Note: although they are all potentially useful, choose the one you think is most consistently useful.)

color

luster

hardness

crystal form
In order to identify a mineral, it is necessary to determine its chemical composition.

true

false
Which of the following minerals is the hardest according to the Mohs' scale?

quartz

calcite

fluorite

gypsum
You encounter a clear mineral in a vein within a rock, which your instructor tells you is either quartz, calcite, or gypsum. You can scratch it with your pocketknife, but not your fingernail. Which is it?

gypsum

calcite

quartz

can't tell from the information
All minerals have cleavage.

true

false
Quartz occurs in many different colors and rock types. Which of the following properties is most likely to help you identify quartz, no matter what color it is?

density

crystal form

conchoidal fracture

cleavage
James Dana developed a classification scheme for minerals based on

chemical composition

hardness

location of occurrence

color
Crystal form refers to the angles between crystal faces, not to the absolute size and shape of a crystal.

true

false
Why isn't color alone very useful in mineral identification?

Many minerals have the same color.

One mineral can have many different colors.

The presence of one element can cause many colors.

all of the answers
Which of the following groups of minerals is most common in the earth's crust?

oxides

silicates

ore minerals

sulfates