Minerals MCQs Quiz Multiple Choice Questions & Answers

1. A hard, colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster is a(n)

1. ore
2. gemstone
3. alloy
4. pure metal

2. Most minerals do NOT split apart evenly. Instead, they have a characteristic type of

1. crystal
2. luster
3. cleavage
4. fracture

3. Minerals can form deep inside Earths crust by

1. crystallization of melted materials
2. evaporation of ancient seas
3. cleavage and fracture
4. friction along faults

4. An example of a mineral made up of a pure element is

1. quartz
2. glass
3. coal
4. copper

5. A mineral is inorganic, which means that it contains

1. parts of living things
2. no materials that were once part of living things
3. compounds
4. materials made by humans

6. The repeating pattern of a minerals particles forms a solid called a(n)

1. compound
2. rock
3. crystal
4. element

7. Halite is a mineral formed by

1. evaporation
2. cooling of lava
3. crystallization of hot water solutions on the ocean floor
4. cooling of magma

8. What crystal shape does halite have?

1. hexagonal
2. glassy
3. cubic
4. monoclinic

9. After miners remove ore from a mine, what process removes the metal from the ore?

1. smelting
2. crystallization
3. evaporation
4. settling

10. The term used to describe how light is reflected from a minerals surface is

1. density
2. luster
3. fluorescence
4. streak

11. What is a solid mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal?

1. ore
2. alloy
3. gemstone
4. precious mineral

12. Which term refers to anyone who searches for an ore deposit?

1. miner
2. mineral specialist
3. geologist
4. prospector

13. The crystals inside a geode are formed when

1. a mineral solution crystallizes
2. magma cool slowly inside Earth
3. lava suddenly cools on Earths surface
4. a mineral solution evaporates

14. Minerals may form on Earths surface when

1. solutions evaporate
2. pure metals are present
3. magma heats a solution
4. crystallization is delayed

15. A rock that contains a metal or other useful mineral that can be mined and sold at a profit is called a(n)

1. gemstone
2. crystal
3. ore
4. gem

16. The softest mineral on the Mohs hardness scale is

1. apatite
2. gypsum
3. quartz
4. talc

17. Which is NOT a factor that affects the size of mineral crystals formed in magma?

1. gas content
2. chemical composition
3. rate of cooling
4. fluorescence

18. What substance that is rich in carbon is mixed with iron ore in the process of smelting?

1. coke
2. alloy
3. slag
4. molten iron

19. Magma that cools very slowly deep beneath the surface forms minerals with what type of crystals?

1. very hard
2. cubic
3. small
4. large

20. Miners use earthmoving equipment to dig a huge hole in the process of

1. shaft mining
2. prospecting
3. smelt mining
4. open pit mining

21. Steelmakers add other elements to iron to make

1. alloys with special properties
2. more brittle alloys
3. softer alloys
4. weaker alloys

22. If you broke a mineral into tiny pieces, each piece would

1. be roughly the same size
2. be metallic
3. still show the same crystal structure
4. have the same shape

23. The color of a minerals powder is called its

1. density
2. hardness
3. streak
4. luster

24. Which type of mine would be used to remove ore deposits in a vein?

1. open pit mine
2. smelting mine
3. strip mine
4. shaft mine

25. Which type of mine often has a network of tunnels that extend deep into the ground, following the veins of ore?

1. shaft mine
2. vein mine
3. strip mine
4. open pit mine

26. When steelmakers add chromium and nickel to iron, the result is

1. steel that melts easily
2. steel mixed with slag
3. stronger steel
4. rust-resistant steel

27. What is the hardest known mineral?

1. diamond
2. gold
3. talc
4. quartz

28. What do metal tools and machinery, the metal filament in a light bulb, and steel girders used to frame an office building all have in common?

1. They are rare
2. They began as minerals inside Earths crust
3. They are gems
4. They are magnetic

29. Although brick, steel, and glass all come from substances found in Earths crust, they are NOT classified as minerals because

1. they are too hard
2. they have many uses
3. they are organic
4. they are not naturally occurring

30. A narrow channel or slab of a mineral that is different from the surrounding rock is called a

1. crystal
2. metal
3. vein
4. solution