01
True or false
1 point
True or false: In a rock where crystals are crowded together, their full external crystal forms may not be visible.
Free Practice Quiz Question List
2 Minerals and Their Properties Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 2 Minerals and Their Properties, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Choose one
1 point
Which statement correctly distinguishes a mineral from a rock?
- A
A mineral is any naturally formed mixture of solid materials; a rock is a single substance with an orderly crystal structure.
- B
A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic crystalline solid with characteristic composition; a rock is naturally formed material made of one or more minerals or other solid material.
- C
A mineral is always a liquid, while a rock is always a solid.
- D
A mineral and a rock are identical terms for the same kind of material.
03
Written response
1 point
What mineral property describes how its surface reflects light?
04
True or false
1 point
True or false: A mineral's outward color is usually enough by itself to identify it reliably.
- A
True
- B
False
05
Written response
1 point
What mineral property does the Mohs scale rank?
06
Choose one
1 point
Two bodies of molten rock crystallize: one cools slowly underground and the other cools rapidly at the surface. Which prediction is best supported?
- A
The rapidly cooled surface rock is more likely to have larger crystals because they form quickly.
- B
The slowly cooled underground rock is more likely to have larger crystals because they have more time to grow.
- C
Both rocks must have crystals of the same size because they began as molten rock.
- D
The underground rock cannot contain crystals because it cooled below the surface.
07
Choose all
1 point
Select all the processes that can form minerals without requiring crystallization directly from cooling magma or lava.
- A
Dissolved substances crystallize as water evaporates or conditions change.
- B
A rock is broken into pieces, with no mineral formation or change involved.
- C
Heated mineral-rich water deposits minerals as it cools or reacts with surrounding rock.
- D
Heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids cause minerals in existing rock to recrystallize or react.
08
Choose one
1 point
A geologist tests a mineral sample with dilute acid under appropriate supervision. Which observation would support the possibility that the sample is calcite?
- A
It develops a metallic luster.
- B
It becomes magnetic.
- C
It commonly fizzes.
- D
It always changes into quartz.
09
Choose one
1 point
Which description best fits sandstone?
- A
Sandstone is made of cemented grains, often mainly quartz.
- B
Sandstone is always a single large crystal of feldspar.
- C
Sandstone forms when limestone recrystallizes under heat and pressure.
- D
Sandstone is commonly made of volcanic glass alone.
10
Choose one
1 point
A geologist compares basalt with granite. Which statement best explains a likely difference in their mineral makeup?
- A
It commonly contains plagioclase feldspar and dark minerals such as pyroxene, reflecting a source melt with a different composition and history.
- B
It is always made mostly of calcite because it forms from recrystallized limestone.
- C
It is commonly made of cemented quartz grains, like sandstone.
- D
It must have the same mineral makeup as granite because both are igneous rocks.
11
Choose all
1 point
Select all statements supported about how a mineral's internal structure and chemistry relate to its properties.
- A
The arrangement of atoms contributes to a mineral's characteristic properties.
- B
Every mineral must have a composition that never varies under any circumstances.
- C
Chemical bonds between atoms contribute to a mineral's characteristic properties.
- D
A mineral has a characteristic chemical composition, although some mineral groups vary in composition within limits.
12
Open ended
1 point
Explain how identifying the minerals and examining the arrangement or size of grains in a rock can help determine what kind of rock it is and infer its history. Include one example from the material.
13
Choose one
1 point
A clear, glassy-looking mineral might be quartz, but its appearance alone is not conclusive. What is the best next step to identify it?
- A
Color is enough to identify a mineral if it is clear.
- B
Color can be misleading, so compare properties such as hardness, streak, and fracture.
- C
A mineral’s color always reveals its chemical composition.
- D
Only crystal form can identify a mineral.
14
Choose one
1 point
Two samples formed from molten rock. One cooled underground and has larger crystals; the other cooled at the surface and has smaller crystals. Which explanation best accounts for the difference?
- A
The underground magma cooled more slowly, allowing larger crystals to grow.
- B
The surface lava cooled more slowly, allowing larger crystals to grow.
- C
The underground magma cooled more rapidly, producing larger crystals.
- D
The two settings must produce crystals of the same size.
15
True or false
1 point
True or false: Halite crystals can form when salty water evaporates and dissolved substances crystallize.
- A
True
- B
False
16
Written response
1 point
A mineral’s outward color varies between specimens, but rubbing it on unglazed porcelain produces a consistent powder color. What property does that powder color indicate?
17
Choose one
1 point
A mineral repeatedly splits along smooth, flat planes. Which property best describes this behavior?
- A
Luster
- B
Streak
- C
Cleavage
- D
Density
18
Written response
1 point
A rock formed when limestone recrystallizes under heat and pressure is being identified. What is the rock’s name?
19
Fill in the blank
1 point
A geologist groups crustal minerals that contain silicon and oxygen. These especially abundant minerals are called .
20
Fill in the blank
1 point
When comparing how much mass occupies a given volume as a clue for identifying a mineral, a geologist is comparing its .