Which of the following is the best geological definition of a mineral?
A. A material that is mined for its value.
B. A material that is necessary to sustain life.
C. A solid or liquid inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition.
D. A solid inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition and crystalline structure. 
ANSWER: 

Rocks are made up of
A. minerals.
B. minerals plus other fragments.
C. fragments and the remains of older rocks.
D. minerals and sediment.
ANSWER: 

A mineral that is commonly found in both granitic type rocks and basalt is
A. orthoclase.
B. plagioclase.
C. olivine.
D. quartz.
ANSWER: 

Minerals may provide clues to all except
A. the age of rocks.
B. how the rock was formed.
C. the temperature and pressures on the rock when it was formed.
D. the reason for the changes in the magnetic field of the Earth.
ANSWER: 

There are about
A. 2000 known minerals; 1500 of which are common.
B. 2000 known minerals; 200 of which are common.
C. 20,000 known minerals; 2000 of which are common.
D. 20,000 known minerals; 200 of which are common.
ANSWER: 

Quartz is a very hard, common mineral composed of primarily
A. silicon and oxygen.
B. silicon and hydrogen.
C. silicon, iron and oxygen.
D. iron, nickel and nitrogen.
ANSWER: 

Minerals are usually and most easily identified by
A. their physical properties.
B. their chemical make-up.
C. their chemical structure.
D. a knowledge of where they were found.
ANSWER: 

Physical properties of minerals include all but which set?
A. color, hardness, cleavage, luster
B. color, hardness, streak, luster
C. color, chemical properties, cleavage, streak
D. color, hardness, cleavage, streak
ANSWER: 

The basic manner in which light is reflected from a mineral is called
A. opalescence and may be described as dull, glassy and metallic.
B. fluorescence and may be described as dull, earthy and metallic.
C. phosphorescence and may be described as dull, earthy and metallic.
D. luster and may be described as dull, glassy and metallic.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following is the weakest method of analyzing the composition of rock?
A. taking thin sections of rock , shining light through them and viewing them in a microscope.
B. determining the exact temperature and pressures where the rocks were formed.
C. crushing rock, melting it and bombarding disks of the material with x-rays.
D. shooting electron beams at thin sections of rock.
ANSWER: 

The main difference(s) between diamonds and graphite is/are that
A. diamonds contain more hard minerals.
B. diamonds contain more carbon and steel-like materials.
C. graphite has a different structural arrangement and more carbon.
D. diamond has a different internal structural arrangement of carbon that formed under very high pressure.
ANSWER: 

The hardness of a mineral is
A. directly related to the amount of iron or heavy metals it contains.
B. directly related to the amount of iron and carbon it contains.
C. directly related to the strength of the chemical bonds that hold it together.
D. related more to composition than bond strength.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following best describe ore deposits?
A. They are economically useful deposits created only by lava flows.
B. They are economically useful deposits often created by hydrothermal activity.
C. They are concentrated deposits of crystals often created by magma.
D. They are deposits of crystals that are created by lava flows and hot water solutions.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following is the least likely process or activity to form ore deposits?
A. crystallization from hot water, evaporating water and sublimation
B. evaporation, sublimation and hydrothermal activity
C. evaporation, sublimation and hot water solutions
D. evaporation, sublimation and thin lava flows
ANSWER: 

The most common class or grouping of minerals (based on composition) are
A. silicates which are composed of silicon, oxygen and at least one other element.
B. silicates which are always composed of silicon, iron and oxygen.
C. feldspars which are composed of silicon, calcium and hydrogen.
D. feldspars which are composed of silicon, sodium and hydrogen.
ANSWER: 
