Silicate Minerals

Question 1

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Mafic, so it is brown.
• Exhibit as elongate prisms.
• Consist of one poor cleavage plane.
• Commonly found in metamorphic rocks.

Answer 1

Staurolite

Question 2

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Green in colour.
• Consists of two excellent cleavage planes orthogonal to each other.
• Associated to garnet.

Answer 2

Omphacite

Question 3

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Exhibits light colours, usually white and colourless.
• Found in metamorphic rocks.
• Consists of two perfect cleavage planes orthogonal to each other.

Answer 3

Lawsonite

Question 4

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Found in metamorphic rocks in mountain ranges.
• Water-bearing mafic, showing dark colours.
• Two cleavage planes at 120 degrees to each other.

Answer 4

Amphibole

Question 5

What is the name of white mica?

Answer 5

Muscovite

Question 6

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Distinct lavender-blue colour.
• Cleavages at 120 degrees of amphiboles.
• Appears as long prisms.
• Found in metamorphic rocks in mountain ranges.

Answer 6

Glaucophane

Question 7

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Either blue, grey or white.
• Appear as columnar crystals.
• Consists of two perfect and one good cleavage.
• Cleavage angle is 79 degrees.

Answer 7

Kyanite

Question 8

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Common in granite and ores.
• Has a triangular cross-section.
• Elongate prismatic habit.
• Usually black or brown.
• No cleavage planes.

Answer 8

Tourmaline

Question 9

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Two cleavage planes at 90 degrees to each other.
• Commonly found in igneous rocks and mostly in the form of rectangular laths.
• Mostly pale pink in colour.

Answer 9

Feldspar

Question 10

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Shows prismatic and euhedral habits.
• Contains two cleavage planes at 90 degrees to each other.
• It is mafic - and hence showing dark colours such as dark grey or black.
• Found in silica-poor igneous rocks.

Answer 10

Pyroxene

Question 11

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Important material within mountain range rocks.
• White or brown in colour.
• Consist of fibrous layer and diamond-shaped cross section.

Answer 11

Sillimanite

Question 12

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Characteristic to metamorphic rocks.
• Exhibits cubic symmetry.
• No evident cleavage planes.
• Mostly brownish in colour.

Answer 12

Garnet

Question 13

What is the name of black mica?

Answer 13

Biotite

Question 14

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Found in mantle with pyroxene.
• No cleavage planes.
• Forms conchoidal fractures.

Answer 14

Olivine

Question 15

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Found in granite and other metamorphic rocks.
• Could be found with sand and silt.
• Form sheets of perfect cleavage plane.

Answer 15

Mica

Question 16

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Common in metamorphic rocks heated by magma.
• Grey in colour.
• Anhedral habit.
• Consist of one cleavage only.
• Often weathered to white to grey fine-grained material.

Answer 16

Cordierite

Question 17

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Present in metamorphic rocks.
• Formed by alteration of igneous rocks by high temperature water.
• Green in colour.
• Only has one cleavage plane.
• Commonly found as anhedral grains.

Answer 17

Epidote

Question 18

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Closely related to sillimanite and kyanite.
• Usually grey or pink.
• Elongate prismatic habit.
• Has two good prismatic cleavages.

Answer 18

Andalusite

Question 19

Which mineral shows the following properties?

• Formed by alteration of olivine.
• Usually comes with very-fine grained.
• Green in colour.
• Water-bearing magnesium-rich phyllosilicate.

Answer 19

Serpentine