Introduction to Environmental Geology, 5e (Keller)
Chapter 3 Minerals and Rocks
3.1 Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Isotopes are
A) charged atoms that have gained or lost electrons
B) atoms that share electrons
C) atoms of the same element with different atomic masses
D) atoms with extra electrons in the nucleus
2) Which of the following is not a mineral?
A) volcanic glass
B) ice
C) quartz
D) plagioclase feldspar
3) In a covalent bond
A) chains or sheets of atoms are held together by weak forces
B) atoms are joined by electrical charges
C) electrons are shared between all atoms in a solid mass
D) electrons are shared between a limited number of atoms
4) In an ionic bond
A) chains or sheets of atoms are held together by weak forces
B) atoms are joined by electrical charges
C) electrons are shared between all atoms in a solid mass
D) electrons are shared between a limited number of atoms
5) In a metallic bond
A) chains or sheets of atoms are held together by weak forces
B) atoms are joined by electrical charges
C) electrons are shared between all atoms in a solid mass
D) electrons are shared between a limited number of atoms
6) Why are silicate minerals the most common minerals in the crust?
A) because oxygen and silicon are the most common elements in the crust
B) because carbonate and oxide minerals are more easily weathered
C) because their building block is in the shape of a tetrahedron
D) because they include elements such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium
7) Why are ferromagnesian minerals easily weathered?
A) they are rich in magnesium
B) they are prone to oxidation
C) they are formed during the solidification of magma
D) they are prone to dissolution
8) Sulfide minerals are potential environmental hazards because
A) they are weak minerals
B) they are rich in calcium, which contributes to water degradation
C) they can combine with oxygen and water to form sulfuric acid
D) they are important sources of iron
9) In what way is the rock cycle intertwined with plate tectonics?
A) Plate tectonic processes control the rock forming processes prevalent at plate boundaries.
B) Plate tectonic processes are directly responsible for weathering.
C) Plate tectonic processes are responsible for the internal heat that causes metamorphism and
melting.
D) Plate tectonic processes are directly responsible for sediment deposition.
10) Intrusive igneous rocks differ from extrusive igneous rocks primarily in their
A) chemical and mineralogical makeup
B) crystal sizes
C) plate tectonic setting
D) degree of heat and pressure involved in magma generation
11) Detrital sedimentary rocks differ from chemical sedimentary rocks in that
A) detrital sedimentary rocks accumulate in depositional basins, while chemical sedimentary
rocks do not
B) detrital sedimentary rocks are composed of visible pieces of preexisting rocks
C) chemical sedimentary rocks are composed of chemical elements, while detrital rocks are not
D) chemical sedimentary rocks accumulate in the ocean, while detrital rocks do not
12) Some metamorphic rocks are potential environmental hazards because
A) foliation can represent a plane of weakness in the rock
B) the fluids that metamorphose the rocks can leave behind dangerous chemicals
C) they are composed of unstable elements
D) the crystals do not interlock as in igneous rocks
13) Plastic deformation results in
A) a return to the original shape of the rock once the pressure is released
B) fractures, such as joints and faults
C) permanent change in shape of the rocks
D) increased rock temperature and, thus, increased metamorphism
14) Joints differ from faults primarily
A) with respect to the types of deformation that form them
B) whether displacement has occurred
C) with respect to strength of the rocks
D) the amount of weathering to which they are prone
15) Unconformities represent
A) a gap in the geologic record
B) a time when the rock sequence was below sea level
C) a period of igneous intrusion
D) an example of the principle of superposition
1) Neutrons add charge, but not mass, to an atom.
2) The crystalline structure of minerals is a result of random arrangement of atoms in a crystal
lattice.
3) Silicate minerals are the most common minerals in the outer core.
4) The term “clay” refers to both texture and mineralogy.
5) Native elements minerals consist of a variety of common elements bonded together by
metallic bonds.
6) The law of cross-cutting relationships pertains to the age relationships in a sequence of
sedimentary layers.
7) The Sierra Nevada batholith consists of a number of plutons with contrasting chemical
composition.
8) Nonfoliated metamorphic rocks form only in high-temperature, low-pressure metamorphism.
9) Rock folds typically form under the influence of compressive stress.
10) St. Francis Dam, located in California, collapsed as a result of intense earthquake shaking.
11) Limestone is a detrital sedimentary rock.
12) Intrusive igneous rocks consist of slowly cooled magma.
13) Porphyritic textures in igneous rocks result from two phases of crystallization.
14) Nonfoliated metamorphic rocks are less likely to cause a landslide than are foliated
metamorphic rocks.
1) ________ contribute negative charges, but minimal mass, to an atom.
2) ________ bonds result from the sharing of electrons between many atoms.
3) ________ is a hard mineral that is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth’s crust.
4) Limestone is prone to chemical weathering because it consists of a mineral from the ________
group.
5) The law of ________ states that the oldest layers are on the bottom of a sequence of sediment
layers that have not been overturned.
6) A batholith is a large mass of igneous rock consisting of multiple ________.
7) ________ sedimentary rocks are formed from the precipitation of substances dissolved in
water.
8) ________ is a low-grade metamorphic rock with many important uses.
9) ________ deformation is recoverable.
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10) A(n) ________ is an unconformity between parallel layers of sediment.
11) The law of ________ states that a rock is younger than any other rock it cuts.
12) The law of ________ states that a sedimentary rocks accumulate in an untilted geometry.
13) The basal cleavage of ________ minerals makes them potentially weak.