U4L1 Rock and Mineral Properties

Question 1

What is the definition of luster?

Answer 1

The way light interacts with the surface of a rock or mineral

Question 2

What is the definition of vitreous?

Answer 2

Glassy

Question 3

What is the hardness of a mineral?

Answer 3

The hardness of a mineral is its ability to resist scratching.

Question 4

What scale is used to determined hardness?

Answer 4

The Mohs Scale

Made by Friedrich Mohs

Question 5

How do you find density using math?

Answer 5

The density of a substance is the ratio between its mass and its volume.

Question 6

What an objects density?

Answer 6

An object’s density is related to whether it sinks or floats in a liquid. If the object sinks, it is more dense than the liquid. If it floats, it is less dense than the liquid.

Question 7

What is the loser of an object?

Answer 7

The luster of a rock or mineral sample is the way light interacts with its surface.

Question 8

What is metallic luster?

Answer 8

A rock or mineral that looks like a shiny metal has metallic luster.

Question 9

What is sub-metallic luster?

Answer 9

A sample with submetallic luster has the appearance of a dull metal. Its surface is reflective but slightly dulled.

Question 10

What is non metallic luster?

Answer 10

A rock or mineral with non-metallic luster doesn’t look like a metal at all.

Question 11

Non-metallic luster sub-types:

Answer 11

• adamantine: translucent with a sparkly appearance
• dull: opaque, no reflection
• earthy: looks like soil or clay
• greasy: looks to be coated in oil
• pearly: has the sheen of a pearl
• resinous: looks like amber; not quite glassy
• silky: looks like silk; fine parallel fibers of
mineral
• vitreous: looks like glass
• waxy: looks like wax

Question 12

Which one mineral is known to repel from a magnetic field?

Answer 12

Bismuth

Question 13

What is cleavage?

Answer 13

Cleavage refers to the tendency of a mineral to break along smooth planes.

Question 14

What is fracture?

Answer 14

Fracture refers to the tendency of a mineral to break along surfaces that are not smooth.

Question 15

What is the definition of magnetism?

Answer 15

How a mineral reacts when placed within a magnetic field

Question 16

How do minerals affect human activities?

Answer 16

Discoveries of gold prompt people to move to a new territory; technology sparks new ways to use minerals that have been mined for years. From the common to the rare, rocks and minerals continue to leave their mark on human history.

Question 17

What properties and characteristics made each of these minerals desirable?

Answer 17

Gold is valued because it does not rust or corrode. Rare earth minerals are valued because they can used in modern technologies like batteries.

Question 18

How have rare earth minerals affected human activity?

Answer 18

Rare earth minerals have enabled people to develop new technologies. Because mining these minerals has negative environmental effects, people are now seeking to reduce their dependence on these minerals or to find ways to reuse these resources.

Question 19

What is so special about silica sand?

Answer 19

Silica has moisture-absorbing properties. This mineral is also abrasive, meaning it is rough and can used to polish a surface.

Question 20

What is silica sand used for?

Answer 20

You may have seen silica gel packets, which rely on silica’s moisture-absorbing properties.

Question 21

What does hydraulic fracturing, or framing, do?

Answer 21

A method of extracting oil and gas by injecting rocks with a liquid at high pressure.

Question 22

_____ is pure silica and is used as a proppant in fracking–it props open the fractures within the rock.

Answer 22

Frac sand

Question 23

What does frac sand do to the environment?

Answer 23

It effects sand dune ecosystems

Question 24

What properties of silica make it useful for making glass?

Answer 24

Silica has a high melting point. When it is melted, it becomes transparent.

Question 25

What are the results of mining sand dunes?

Answer 25

Entire mountainous sand dunes have disappeared.

Question 26

How has mining silica sand from sand dunes influenced human activity?

Answer 26

Mining silica sand provided jobs. Glass made from silica sand was used for canning jars. Removal of sand dunes has affected people’s use of lake shore areas of Lake Michigan.

Question 27

How is glass made?

Answer 27

From melting sand that high silica content.

Question 28

Where is silica mainly found?

Answer 28

In dune sand

Question 29

What is phosphorus?

Answer 29

A necessary nutrient for all living things

Question 30

Where is phosphorus found?

Answer 30

Every cell in the human body, especially in bones

Question 31

What do plants need phosphorus for?

Answer 31

They need it in order to grow

Question 32

What is phosphorus used for?

Answer 32

Fertilizers

Question 33

Why is the demand for phosphorus increasing?

Answer 33

As the human population continues to increase, phosphate fertilizers are crucial to growing enough food to feed all people.

Question 34

Where do people get phosphate?

Answer 34

Mining phosphate rock

Question 35

What happened to the phosphate in Nauru?

Answer 35

After decades of phosphate mining, 80 percent of the island nation of Nauru was strip-mined. The phosphate reserves ran out by the year 2000, and the island is not able to grow enough food for its population due to the environmental damage.

Question 36

What properties of silica sand make it useful in hydraulic fracturing?

Answer 36

It can withstand great pressure.

Question 37

Two unknown mineral samples, A and B, are rubbed against each other. Mineral A scratches mineral B. What can you infer about the minerals?

Answer 37

Mineral A is harder than mineral B.

Question 38

How have phosphate minerals MOST affected human activity?

Answer 38

Using phosphate minerals in fertilizer allowed humans to grow more crops.

Question 39

Which of the following statements about mining booms is true?

Answer 39

Property values tend to increase in the short term.

Question 40

Light bounces off of a mineral sample. What can you say about the mineral?

Answer 40

The mineral is reflective.