Q&A Hero

Q: If there are over 100 elements on the periodic table of elements, it would stand to reason that there would be millions of ways these elements could combine to form minerals. However, there are only 4000 named minerals. Why might there be so few minerals on Earth when there are so many possible combinations?

Q: Explain how differences in molecular bonds in minerals can result in cleavage versus fracture.

Q: Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is found over large areas of the United States. Using this information, explain what the environment of deposition was like at the time of limestone formation and how the mineral in the limestone formed?

Q: You have a solution of salt dissolved in water. Why might a drop in temperature result in the dissolved minerals precipitating out of solution?

Q: What is the significance of valence electrons in connection to mineral formation?

Q: Match the silicate structure with the appropriate mineral example. 1. Independent tetrahedra 2. Single chain 3. Double chain 4. Sheet 5. Network A) Muscovite B) Amphibole C) Olivine D) Pyroxene E) Quartz

Q: Match the mineral class with the ion(s) it is based around. 1. Halides 2. Sulfides 3. Sulfates 4. Carbonates 5. Silicates A) SiO24- B) S- C) Cl-, F-, Br- D) CO32- E) SO42-

Q: Match the type of atomic bond with the correct definition. 1. Ionic bond 2. Covalent bond 3. Metallic bond 4. Hybrid bond A) Valence electrons are free to move from one atom to another so all atoms share available valence electrons, creating an electron "sea." B) Incomplete transfer of electrons that results in atoms partially transferring and partially sharing electrons. C) One atom gives up one or more valence electrons to another atom. D) Chemical bonds created by sharing a pair of electrons between atoms.

Q: Match the atomic particle with the correct definition. 1. Proton 2. Neutron 3. Electron A) Particle found in the nucleus; positive charge B) Particle found orbiting the nucleus; negative charge C) Particle found in the nucleus; no charge

Q: Ferromagnesian minerals have a higher specific gravity than nonferromagnesian minerals.

Q: Quartz has only one color.

Q: The more oxygen ions that are shared in silicate minerals, the higher the oxygen-to-silicon ratio.

Q: Graphite and diamonds are polymorphs because both are made up of carbon atoms.

Q: Polymorphs are minerals that will have two identical mineral structures, but different chemical compositions.

Q: All minerals have cleavage.

Q: Color is a reliable identification technique for minerals.

Q: A geode contains minerals that form through biological processes.

Q: A rock can be composed of almost entirely one mineral.

Q: There can be no variation of mineral composition in order for the substance to remain the same mineral.

Q: Mineral species can be further subdivided into ________. A) mineral classes B) mineraloids C) evaporites D) varieties

Q: Which of the following materials will form through evaporation? A) Feldspars B) Geodes C) Salt D) Limestone

Q: A(n) ________ is the fundamental particle of matter. A) electron B) mineral C) nucleus D) atom

Q: Which of the following rocks is composed of only a single mineral? A) Limestone B) Granite C) Conglomerate D) Gabbro

Q: One defining characteristic of minerals is that they are found in a solid state in nature. Which of the following minerals is an exception to this rule, naturally occurring in a liquid state at room temperature? A) Diamond B) Ice C) Carbon D) Calcite

Q: Which intermediary helps to break down minerals into a form digestible by humans? A) Meteorites B) Rocks C) Plants D) Gravel

Q: Which negative ion forms the basis of the oxide minerals? A) F- B) Cl- C) O22- D) S-

Q: What is the mineral name for table salt? A) Halite B) Calcite C) Dolomite D) Gypsum

Q: Which ferromagnesian mineral is believed to constitute up to 50 percent of the mantle? A) Biotite B) Amphibole C) Olivine D) Garnet

Q: What is the best method to distinguish between muscovite mica and biotite mica? A) Cleavage B) Color C) Hardness D) Streak

Q: Which group of silicate minerals has two planes of cleavage that are oriented at approximately 60 and 120? A) Pyroxenes B) Potassium Feldspars C) Amphiboles D) Galena

Q: What are the two groups of feldspar minerals called? A) Microcline and orthoclase B) Potassium feldspar and plagioclase C) Sodium and calcium D) Albite and anorthite

Q: Ferromagnesian minerals are those that contain a great deal of ________. A) manganese and iron B) potassium and aluminum C) magnesium and iron D) calcium and silicon

Q: Silica tetrahedra are able to link into long chains that share oxygen ions through the process of ________. A) isolation B) precipitation C) fission D) polymerization

Q: A(n) ________ is a silicate structure where no silica tetrahedra share any oxygen ions. A) single chain B) double chain C) framework D) independent

Q: The ________ are the mineral class that accounts for more than 90 percent of the Earth's crust. A) silicates B) sulfates C) carbonates D) sulfides

Q: Only eight elements make up the vast majority of rock-forming minerals. Which of the following elements is not one of the eight? A) Oxygen B) Hydrogen C) Iron D) Potassium

Q: The addition of which of the following will control a mineral's color? A) Water B) Biologic secretions C) Pigment D) Trace elements

Q: ________ states that the angles between equivalent faces of crystals of the same mineral are always the same. A) The law of conservation of mass B) The law of constancy of interfacial angles C) The law of superposition D) The law of opposite interior angles

Q: Which ionspositive ions or negative ionstend to be larger and why? A) Positive ions because they have more protons B) Positive ions because they have more electrons C) Negative ions because they have more neutrons D) Negative ions because they have more electrons

Q: Why will an iron-rich olivine have a higher density than a magnesium-rich olivine? A) More magnesium is needed to equal the same atomic charge as iron. B) Iron-rich olivine has smaller crystals, so more of them will fit into the same area. C) Magnesium-rich olivine has more silicon, which is less dense. D) Iron has a greater atomic mass than magnesium and therefore is heavier.

Q: Which kind of mineral tenacity refers to a mineral being deformed by being hammered without breaking? A) Malleable B) Sectile C) Fibrous D) Elastic

Q: Define the tenacity of a mineral. A) Resistance to scratching B) Parting along a plane of weakness C) A specific pattern of fracturing D) Resistance to breaking or deforming

Q: Conchoidal fractures are indicative of the mineral ________. A) muscovite B) quartz C) fluorite D) pyroxene

Q: Which of the following minerals has good cleavage in two directions, which creates a rectangular-shaped crystal? A) Halite B) Quartz C) Plagioclase D) Biotite

Q: ________ is defined as a mineral's resistance to scratching. A) Hardness B) Cleavage C) Fracture D) Streak

Q: Which of the following mineral identification techniques would most easily identify calcite? A) Taste B) Streak C) Magnetism D) Effervescence

Q: ________ refers to a mineral's intensity and quality of reflected light. A) Cleavage B) Luster C) Tenacity D) Streak

Q: Which of the following is the hardest known natural substance? A) Talc B) Diamond C) Quartz D) Sapphire

Q: In an aqueous solution that has not reached the saturation point, why won't the ions bond to create mineral crystals? A) The opposite charges of the ions repel each other. B) The ions are too close together to form a regular internal crystalline structure. C) The motion of the dissolved ions keeps them from joining. D) There are too few ions to make any minerals.

Q: Most marine organisms produce the mineral substance ________, which will later become limestone. A) SiO2 B) SO2 C) H2CO3 D) CaCO3

Q: Crystallization of molten rock will produce ________ rocks. A) metamorphic B) igneous C) sedimentary

Q: Which of the following is not one of the three primary ways minerals can form? A) Hybridization B) Precipitation C) Crystallization of molten material D) Biological Processes

Q: According to the octet rule, atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons until they are surrounded by ________ valence electrons. A) 2 B) 6 C) 8 D) 10

Q: Which is the strongest of the atomic bonds? A) Ionic B) Covalent C) Metallic D) Hybrid

Q: What is an ion? A) An atom that has more or fewer protons than it should B) An atom that has more or fewer neutrons than it should C) An atom that has more or fewer electrons than it should

Q: What is the charge of a single proton? A) +1 B) -1 C) +2 D) -3

Q: What is the name of the chart that organizes elements in order of chemical properties? A) Moh's hardness scale B) Atomic symbols C) Elemental flowchart D) Periodic table of elements

Q: ________ are groups of the same kinds of atoms that cannot be broken down into other substances by ordinary chemical means. A) Molecules B) Electrons C) Elements D) Minerals

Q: An isotope of oxygen has 8 protons, 10 neutrons, and 8 electrons. What is the atomic mass of this isotope? A) 16 B) 18 C) 21 D) 26

Q: A ________ is a solid, naturally occurring, cohesive substance composed of minerals or mineral-like materials. A) tetrahedron B) mineral C) rock D) mixture

Q: Which of the following is a rock composed of nonmineral matter? A) Granite B) Coal C) Limestone D) Basalt

Q: Which of the following is not part of the definition of a mineral? A) Naturally occurring B) Organic C) Orderly crystalline structure D) Definite chemical composition

Q: ________ is the study of mineral materials. A) Mineralogy B) Lithology C) Mineralosophy D) Historical Geology

Q: As the island of Hawaii continues to move away from the mantle plume, a new submarine volcano will be created. Off which coast would you expect the new submarine volcano to be forming? A) North coast B) Southwest coast C) Northeast coast D) Southeast coast

Q: The Hawaiian mantle plume is a classic example of a long-lived mantle plume being used to demonstrate how the motion of a tectonic plate has changed over time. Which hot spot would be an even better indicator of the Pacific plate's motion over time? A) Cape Verde mantle plume B) Easter Island C) Yellowstone D) Caroline E) Pitcairn

Q: The Hawaiian mantle plume has left a chain of volcanic islands and seamounts stretching back for ~70 million years. Although the mantle plume has remained relatively stationary, the Pacific Plate above it has moved. Use the figure below to answer the following question. What direction has the Pacific plate been moving for the last 40 million years? A) Southeast B) North C) Northwest D) Northeast E) West

Q: The Hawaiian mantle plume has left a chain of volcanic islands and seamounts stretching back for ~70 million years. Although the mantle plume has remained relatively stationary, the Pacific plate above it has moved. Use the figure to answer the following question. What direction was the Pacific plate moving between 65 and 43 million years ago? A) North B) Southeast C) East D) West E) Northwest

Q: Using the figure above, indicate which boundaries are convergent, divergent, and transform. 1. Pacific/North American boundary 2. Nazca/South American boundary 3. Pacific/Antarctic boundary 4. African/South American boundary 5. Caribbean/North American boundary 6. African/Eurasian boundary A) Transform B) Divergent C) Convergent

Q: Match the oceanic and continental lithospheres with their positions on the figure below. 1. Oceanic Plate 2. Continental Plate A) on the left B) on the right

Q: Using the block diagram provided, explain how new plate material is created at a divergent plate boundary. Make sure your answer includes a discussion on the forces at work and the generation of magma beneath the rift.

Q: Using the map provided, locate three continental plates and three oceanic plates. Match the correct label with the correct plate. 1. Pacific Plate 2. North American Plate 3. Nazca Plate 4. Philippine Plate 5. Eurasian Plate 6. African Plate A) Oceanic Plate B) Continental Plate

Q: If new plate material is being created at divergent plate boundaries, is the Earth growing larger? Explain why or why not.

Q: If there is no compositional difference between two oceanic plates, what other factor will determine which plate will become the subducted one and why? (What other factor can control density?)

Q: There is an expression in American society that it would only take one good earthquake and the state of California would sink into the ocean. Using what you know about plate boundaries, evaluate this statement.

Q: How does the temperature of the lithosphere and that of the asthenosphere affect those layers' rigidities and responses when force is applied?

Q: Alfred Wegener provided several pieces of evidence supporting the idea that the planet's continents were once joined in a single landmass. List three of them.

Q: Lava lamps are commonly used to illustrate how convection cells in the mantle convey heat from the core to the exterior of the Earth. Explain how convection works, using a lava lamp as a proxy for the Earth.

Q: Explain how the shapes of polar wandering paths for Europe and North America and the locations of those continents can be used to support the existence of Pangaea.

Q: Which two aspects of continental drift were most objectionable to scientists of the early twentieth century? Why?

Q: Mesosaurus is a small freshwater reptile that existed in the Permian Period. It is only found in black shale deposits in eastern South America and southwestern Africa. If the Mesosaurus is an aquatic reptile and the continents are currently separated by an ocean, evaluate why the Mesosaurus would be used as strong evidence in favor of continental drift rather than as evidence against it.