Earth Science Chapters 1-3 – Flashcards
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What is a popular theory for the difference in atmospheres of the Jovian planets vs terrestrial planets
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High temperatures and solar wind in the inner planets allowed most of the volatiles to be driven off the terrestrial planets but not the Jovian Planets
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Moon went through 4 phases
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formation for the origin crust
excavation of the large impacts basins
filling of maria basins
formation of rayed craters
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rock cycle
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a model that illustrates the origin of the three basic rock types and the interrelatedness of Earth materials and processes
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Igneous rocks
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formed by fire
formed though the cooling and solidification of magma or lava
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magma
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molten rock that is often generated by melting of rocks in earths mantle
when it reaches the surface it is called lava
when molten rock solidifies at the reface the resulting igneous rocks are classified as extrusive or volcanic
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Granitic (Felsic) composition
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a group of igneous rocks that indicates a rock is composed almost entirely of light colored silicates mainly feldspar and quartz
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basaltic (mafic) composition
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a group of igneous rocks that indicates a rock contains substantial dark silicate minerals and calcium rich plagioclase feldspar, low silica content and high iron magnesium content
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The first minerals to be mined were ________ and ________.
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A) gold, silver
B) copper, bronze
C) flint, chert
D) lead, quartz
answer: C
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Which of the following is not a criterion for defining something as a mineral?
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A) Naturally occurring
B) Hard
C) Generally inorganic
D) Orderly crystalline structure
answer: B
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Which of the following is a mineral as defined by a geologist?
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A) boulder
B) concrete
C) sugar
D) salt
E) water
answer: D
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Why are boulders not a mineral?
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A) They are not naturally occurring.
B) They are organic.
C) They are not solid.
D) They do not have an orderly crystalline structure.
E) They do not have a well-defined chemical composition.
answer: D
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Limestone is composed almost entirely of calcite which has the chemical formula CaCO3. As
a result, limestone is classified as ________.
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A) a mineral
B) a rock
C) both a mineral and a rock
D) neither a mineral nor a rock because it is organic
answer: B
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Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock?
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A) A rock has an orderly, repetitive, geometrical, internal arrangement of minerals; a mineral is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of rocks.
B) A mineral consists of its constituent atoms arranged in a geometrically repetitive structure; in a rock, the atoms are randomly bonded without any geometric pattern.
C) In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of different mineral grains.
D) A rock consists of atoms bonded in a regular, geometrically predictable arrangement; a mineral is a consolidated aggregate of different rock particles.
answer: C
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Which one of the following is not true for minerals?
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A) They have a specific, internal, crystalline structure.
B) They can be a liquid, solid, or gas.
C) Many have a specific, predictable chemical composition.
D) They can be identified by characteristic physical properties.
answer: B
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Which of the following is not a fundamental particle found in atoms?
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A) neutron
B) selectron
C) electron
D) protons
answer: b
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Atoms of the same element, zinc for example, have the same number of ________.
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A) electrons in the nucleus
B) protons in the nucleus
C) neutrons in the outer nuclear shell
D) electrons in the valence bond level
answer: B
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Which the following denotes the positively charged particles in an atom's nucleus?
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A) protons
B) electrons
C) isotrons
D) neutrons
answer: A
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An atom's mass number is 13 and its atomic number is 6. How many neutrons are in its nucleus?
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A) 19
B) 7
C) 13
D) 6
answer: B
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Heavy elements like Pb (lead) and U (Uranium) were generated ________.
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A) by humans in nuclear reactors
B) during the big band when the universe was formed
C) by the Sun and expelled to the solar system via the solar wind
D) during collapse of a star and subsequent nuclear synthesis in a supernova
answer: d
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Which of the following minerals is not a chemical compound?
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A) quartz (SiO2)
B) halite (NaCl)
C) graphite (C)
D) pyrite (FeS)
answer: C
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When Calcium (Ca) bonds with oxygen, it gives up two electrons. What is the charge of the Ca ion in this compound?
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A) +1
B) -1
C) +2
D) -2
answer: C
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Which electrons are responsible for most chemical bonding?
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A) outer electron shell because these electrons can be readily exchanged with adjacent atoms
B) innermost electron shell because the electrons can be transferred to the nucleus
C) middle electron shell because they are intermediate in distance between the nucleus and the adjacent atom that bonds with the atom
D) Any electron can exchange with adjacent atoms to form a bond; there is no preference.
answer: A
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Element 20, Ca, has what chemical property?
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A) It behaves as a metal ion, giving up two electrons to form a +2 ion.
B) It tends to form covalent bonds and an ion with a charge of +1.
C) It behaves as a nonmetal, accepting electrons to form an ion with charge -2. D) It tends to be inert, and thus is dispersed throughout the crust.
answer: a
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Element 17 (Cl) and 9 (F) ________.
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A) are chemically very different because they lie directly below each other on the periodic table
B) are chemically similar because they lie directly below each other on the periodic table
C) behave as metals because they lie on the right side of the periodic table
D) are chemically relatively inert because they adjacent to the inert gases on the periodic table
answer: b
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Be is to Mg as ________.
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A) K is to Mg
B) Ti is to V
C) K is to Rb
D) Ti is to F
answer: C
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The columns of the periodic table divide atoms by their ________.
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A) number of valence electrons
B) atomic mass
C) number of protons
D) number of neutrons
answer: a
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Atoms that share electrons have a(n) ________ bond.
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A) covalent
B) ionic
C) partial
D) metallic
answer: a
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When electrons are shared amongst all atoms, the resulting bond is a(n) ________ bond.
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A) covalent
B) ionic
C) partial
D) metallic
answer: D
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The bond between sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) to form halite (salt) is a(n) ________
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A) ionic
B) valent
C) covalent
D) metallic
answer: a
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The bond between two hydrogen atoms (a covalent bond) is based on the force of attraction between ________.
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A) two atoms
B) two nuclei
C) two ions
D) protons in the nuclei and electrons surrounding the nuclei
answer: A
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One significant difference between an ionic bond, where electrons are taken from one atom and added to another atom, and a covalent or metallic bond, where electrons are shared, is ________.
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A) ionic bonds are stronger than covalent or metallic bonds
B) ionic bonds produce ions but covalent and metallic bonds do not produce ions
C) ionic bonds make a material more malleable than covalent and metallic bonds
D) ionic bonds do not result in the attraction of oppositely charged atoms, but covalent and metallic bonds do
ion
answer:
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Atoms that have an electrical charge due to a gain or loss of electrons are called ________.
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A) isotopes
B) ions
C) isochrons
D) periodic elements
answer: B
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What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?
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A) silicate
B) native gold
C) diamond
D) muscovite
answer: c
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Which mineral reacts readily with cool, dilute hydrochloric acid to produce visible bubbles of carbon dioxide gas?
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A) calcite
B) quartz
C) gypsum
D) plagioclase
answer: A
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The resistance of a mineral to abrasion is known as ________.
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A) luster
B) cleavage
C) streak
D) hardness
answer: D
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The strong tendency of certain minerals to break along smooth, parallel planes is known as ________.
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A) streak
B) cleavage
C) cracking luster
D) habit
answer: B
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The most unreliable (variable) diagnostic property of minerals such as quartz is ________.
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A) hardness
B) habit
C) specific gravity
D) color
answer: d
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Wood floats in water, 1 gram is defined as the mass of 1 cubic centimeter of water, a cubic centimeter of quartz weighs ~2.65 g and a cubic centimeter of galena weighs about 7.5 g. The density of these materials from highest to lowest is ________.
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A) wood, quartz, galena, water
B) galena, quartz, water, wood
C) galena, quartz, wood, water
D) water, wood, quartz, galena
answer: b
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What does the tendency of micas to produce thin cleavage flakes suggest about its crystal structure?
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A) The crystal structure is characterized by complex polymerized mats that form a sheetlike structure.
B) The structure is characterized by rings that form an interlocking network, forming planar sheets.
C) The structure is produced by flow in the igneous rock, aligning glass layers within the crystal structure.
D) The atoms are arranged in orderly arrangements that form strongly bonded sheets separated by weak bonds between the sheets.
answer: D
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Angles are important when looking at which physical properties of minerals?
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A) cleavages
B) color streaks
C) bands of different luster
D) conchoidal fractures
answer: A
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Which of the following physical properties is not generally used to identify most minerals?
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A) luster
B) smell
C) cleavage
D) hardness
answer: b
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Geologists may choose to lick a mineral to identify it. What mineral is the geologist expecting with this test?
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A) a sulfide bearing rock which will taste like rotten eggs
B) NaCl (halite) or KCl (sylvite)
C) None, it clears the dust off the sample so he/she can see if more clearly.
D) None, they are clearing the hydrochloric acid from the sample to rerun a test for calcite.
Answer: B
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Which of the following describes the light reflecting and transmission characteristics of a mineral?
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A) luster
B) color streak
C) virtual absorption
D) fluorescence
Answer: A
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When a mineral fractures along a cleavage plane, what does this suggest about the crystal structure of the mineral?
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A) The atoms are arranged in a simple orderly arrangement with uniform bonding.
B) The crystal structure contains planes along which chemical bonding is much weaker than other directions.
C) The crystal grows only planar faces that become weak zones that form cleavage.
D) The crystal contains warped planes called twin planes that weaken the crystal structure and allow it fracture along a planar surface, causing cleavage.
Answer: B
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Why do the minerals calcite and dolomite bubble with the mineral or its powder are placed in hydrochloric acid?
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Why do the minerals calcite and dolomite bubble with the mineral or its powder are placed in hydrochloric acid?
A) Both minerals are sulfides, and the acid reacts to release sulfur dioxide gas.
B) Both minerals are metal hydrides, and when placed in hydrochloric acid they give off hydrogen gas.
C) The acid and the mineral together react with oxygen in the air, releasing CO2 gas.
D) The acid reacts with the mineral to release CO2 gas that is bound into the crystal as carbonate
ion.
Answer: D
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The mineral fluorite is commonly sold in mineral shops as octahedral (8-sided) objects. This shape originates from ________.
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A) the typical crystal form of fluorite
B) a pseudomorph (false form) of fluorite from replacement of a salt, potassium chlorite, that grows in octahedral crystals
C) the growth of fluorite in caves and is the form the crystals grow in the open cavern
D) cutting a larger crystal along four perfect cleavage planes, forming a cleavage fragment
Answer: D
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Quartz has a characteristic conchoidal fracture, yet rock shops often sell quartz as elongate six sided objects with a pointed termination. What causes this shape?
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A) The rock shop cuts them that way with abrasives. The facets are cut to give the crystals more "power" for the crystal people.
B) The planar faces that form the object are crystal faces that grow when the crystals grew into a void.
C) Quartz usually is amorphous, consistent with its conchoidal fracture, but when it grows it grows against minerals with planar faces, causing this shape.
D) You should never buy a crystal like this because it is clearly fake, only artificial crystals grow this way.
Answer: B
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A cubic centimeter of quartz, olivine, and gold weighs 2.5, 3.0, and 19.8 grams, respectively. This indicates that ________.
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A) gold has a higher density and specific gravity than quartz and olivine
B) gold is 6 to 7 times harder than olivine and quartz
C) gold and olivine are silicates, whereas quartz is elemental silicon
D) olivine and quartz powders are harder than metallic gold
Answer: A
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Although it is relatively common, limestone is an economically important rock type because its major constituent mineral, ________, is used in the production of ________.
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A) halite, salt
B) calcite, calcium
C) calcite, cement
D) halite, halogen
Answer: C
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Which of the following is not a common rock forming mineral?
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A) potassium
B) iron
C) carbon
D) magnesium
Answer: C
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Which two elements combine to make most of the common rock forming minerals in the crust?
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A) carbon and oxygen
B) nitrogen and oxygen
C) silicon and oxygen
D) silicon and nitrogen
E) carbon and nitrogen
Answer: C
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The most common group of rock forming minerals is ________.
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A) carbonate
B) the silicates
C) the sulfates
D) the halides
Answer: B
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The most common group of silicates is ________.
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A) feldspar
B) quartz
C) mica
D) granite
Answer: A
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The basic building block of a silicate is composed of ________.
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A) 1 oxygen and 1 silicon
B) 2 oxygens and 1 silicon
C) 3 oxygens and 1 silicon
D) 4 oxygens and 1 silicon
Answer: D
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Silicates most commonly form ________.
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A) at the surface of the earth
B) from other silicates
C) from cooling molten rock
D) under extreme pressure
Answer: C
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Clay is an example of ________.
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A) a carbonate that forms from weathering of other carbonates
B) a silicate that forms from weathering of other silicates
C) a sulfate that forms from weathering of other sulfates
D) a halide that forms from weathering of other halides Answer: B
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Light colored silicates have a specific gravity of about 2.7 grams/cm3 are composed primarily of the silica tetrahedra and ________.
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A) iron, magnesium, calcium, and sodium
B) aluminum, magnesium, calcium, and iron
C) magnesium, aluminum, sodium, and calcium D) potassium, calcium, sodium, and aluminum
E) potassium, aluminum, magnesium, and sodium Answer: D
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Clay minerals are light silicates that form ________.
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A) from molten rock
B) from mechanical weathering of any rock
C) from chemical weathering of igneous rocks
D) from pressure and heat.
Answer: C
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Dark Silicates have a specific gravity of 3.2 to 3.6 and are composed primarily of silica tetrahedral and ________.
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A) iron and magnesium
B) aluminum and magnesium
C) aluminum and sodium
D) potassium and calcium
E) potassium and iron
Answer: A
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Carbonates always include ________.
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A) SiO4-4
B) SO4-2 C) CO3-2
C) CO3-2
D) Cl-1, F-1, or Br-1
Answer: C
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Halides always include ________.
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A) SiO4-4
B) SO4-2
C) CO3-2
D) Cl-1, F-1, or Br-1
Answer: D
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Sulfates always include ________.
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A) SiO4-4
B) SO4-2 C) CO3-2
D) Cl-1, F-1, or Br-1
Answer: B
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Gypsum, which is widely used in plaster and wallboard, is a member of the ________ group.
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A) silicate
B) carbonate
C) halide
D) sulfate
Answer: D
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Dolomite is a magnesium-rich member of the ________ group.
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A) silicate
B) carbonate
C) halide
D) sulfate
Answer: B
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Which of the following minerals is a silicate?
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A) hematite
B) feldspar
C) calcite
D) halite
Answer: B
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Which one of the following mineral groups exhibits a sheet-like silicate structure?
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A) carbonates
B) pyroxenes
C) micas
D) feldspars
Answer: C
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Which common mineral is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen?
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A) calcite
B) diamond
C) olivine
D) quartz
Answer: D
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A naturally occurring concentration of one or more metallic minerals that can be extracted economically is a(n) ________.
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A) reserve
B) ore
C) resource
D) tailing
Answer: B
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Which of the following is a renewable resource?
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A) coal
B) ice
C) helium gas
D) rock salt
Answer: B
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Ore deposits of the element ________ do not require extreme concentrations because it is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth's crust.
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A) aluminum
B) boron
C) carbon
D) uranium
Answer: A
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What theory dramatically improved geologist's ability to predict where certain ore deposits were formed?
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A) geosynclines
B) faulting theory
C) plate tectonics
D) quantum mechanics
Answer: C
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Deposits of which of the following minerals would never be considered an ore?
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A) galena
B) hematite
C) chalcophyrite
D) quartz
Answer: D
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In the late 20th century most metal prices were very low but metal prices increased
dramatically in the early 21st century. Simultaneously, the early 21st century saw extensive "brown fields exploration" in which companies went to old mining areas and extracted old mine wastes or reopened old mine workings. What is the primary explanation for this activity?
answer
A) The old miners were wasteful and left large amounts of ore in the ground.
B) The increase of metal prices made mineral resources that were previously uneconomic into ores that could potentially be extracted profitably.
C) Environmental regulations make it impossible to explore anywhere but old mining areas, so this was the only place the companies could look for deposits.
D) The companies were only interested acquiring properties through a sleazy land grab, and had no intention of doing anything with the deposits assuming no one cared about brown fields.
Answer: B
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What kind of time span is required to produce most mineral deposits?
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A) 1-100 years, or about a human life span
B) tens of thousands to millions of years
C) billions of years
D) We have no way of knowing this, but most were formed at the same time as the Earth.
Answer: B
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Word Analysis. Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern.
68) electron atom proton neutron
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Answer: atom
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69) ionic metallic valence covalent
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Answer: valence
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amorphous bladed tabular cubic
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Answer: Amorphous
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quartz olivine feldspar calcite
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Answer: calcite
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calcite feldspar quartz olivine
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Answer: Calcite
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oxygen sulfur aluminum iron
answer
Answer: sulfur
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t or f : Rocks are aggregates of minerals.
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true
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A mineral can be composed entirely of one element.
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true
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Electrons orbit the nucleus of an atom much like planets around the Sun, with inner orbitals fixed and outer orbitals subject to exchange with other atoms to make compounds.
answer
F
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An atom with 30 protons always has 30 neutrons and 30 electrons.
answer
F
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The mass of an atom comes from its electrons.
answer
F
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An element is defined by the number of electrons the orbit the nucleus.
answer
F
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Most substances are electrically neutral.
answer
T
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Electrically neutral atoms have equal numbers of electrons and protons.
answer
T
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All atoms of the same element have the same atomic number.
answer
T
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Atoms are too small to be seen with an optical microscope.
answer
T
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The Octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons until they are surrounded by six valence electrons.
answer
F
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Chemical compounds retain most of the characteristics of their constituent elements.
answer
F
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Electrical attractions between atoms lower the total energy of the bonded atoms and make them more stable.
answer
T
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Metals are good conductors of electricity because their protons can roam freely throughout the material.
answer
F
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All minerals exhibit cleavage.
answer
F
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Mineral luster is broadly classified as either being metallic or opaque.
answer
F
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Most minerals have a higher specific gravity than water.
answer
T
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The micas, biotite and muscovite, both exhibit one direction of cleavage.
answer
T
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A brown mineral specimen and a green mineral specimen have identical hardness; therefore, they are the same mineral, but just happen to be different color
answer
F
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A minerals luster is produced by its ability to transmit light. Opaque minerals always have a metallic luster because they do not transmit any light.
answer
F
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Cleavage is related to the internal structure of a mineral.
answer
T
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Silicon-oxygen bonds are weak and cause cleavage to be common in silicate minerals.
answer
F
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In the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron, there are more silicon atoms than oxygen atoms.
answer
F
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Quartz forms at a lower temperature than olivine.
answer
T
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Diamond and quartz are both minerals composed of a single element.
answer
F
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Although fluorite and native sulfur are not metallic minerals, deposits of these materials are still called ore deposits.
answer
T
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Nonmetallic minerals like halite and gypsum have no industrial uses.
answer
F
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Building stone, sand and gravel, and fertilizers are industrial materials that are a special class ore deposits but are usually subject to the same regulations as other ores.
answer
F
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Many metals are extracted from ores that contain sulfide minerals.
answer
T
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Quartz sand is a useless commodity unless you want to rebuild a beach.
answer
F
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A compound is a stable chemical substance composed of two or more ________.
answer
Answer: elements
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What is the smallest particle of matter that exhibits and defines the distinctive chemical characteristics of the individual elements?
answer
atom
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The atomic particle that carries a positive charge is called a(n) ________.
answer
proton
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What physical property denotes the color of a powdered mineral?
answer
streak
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The physical property denoting a mineral's tendency to crack along parallel, planar surfaces is known as ________.
answer
cleavage
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Wood floats in water and rocks sink; thus, the density of ________ is the lower of the two.
answer
wood
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A naturally occurring concentration of metallic minerals that can be extracted economically is called ________ whereas any occurrence of useful minerals that are formed in such quantities that eventual extraction is reasonably certain, but not necessarily profitable, are called ________ resources.
answer
ore:mineral
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Talc and graphite are two of the lowest minerals on the hardness scale. They are also described by terms like greasy or soapy. Both have a crystal structure characterized by sheet- structures at the atomic level, yet they don't behave like micas. What accounts for their unusual physical properties?
answer
Answer: The chemical bonds between the sheets is so weak that very low stresses can allow slip between the sheets; hence, the greasy feel and low hardness.
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There are people who specialize in "cutting" diamonds, yet diamond is the hardest known substance. From your knowledge of minerals, which of the following describes what the diamond cutter does?
answer
Diamond has more than one cleavage, and the cutter looks for small cracks along the cleavage and uses a chisel to break the mineral along the cleavage.
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Gold is one of the rarest elements in the universe, yet it is extracted from ores on Earth. How is this possible?
answer
Gold does not bond with other elements and the native metal is extremely concentrated in the Earth's crust, which allows it to be extracted from rocks but low concentrations still contribute to its low price.
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Joe Geologist discovers a vein made up primarily of quartz but also containing significant amounts of pyrite as well as chalcopyrite. He knows better than to fall for fool's gold, and decides to ignore the vein. Did he make the right decision? Explain.
answer
No, although the pyrite has no value the chalcopyrite has copper and sulfide minerals in quartz veins are a common association with gold bearing veins. He should have examined this in much more detail.
