Senior High School at Apolonio Samsom

Prelim Exam - Earth and Life Sciences

First Semester 2016-2017

Name: Section:

I. Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer.

1. Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock?

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.

2. What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?

A. silicate C. diamond
B. native gold D. muscovite

3. Which mineral reacts readily with cool, dilute hydrochloric acid to produce visible bubbles of
carbon dioxide gas?
A. calcite C. gypsum
B. quartz D. plagioclase

4. Which common mineral is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen?

A. calcite C. olivine
B. diamond D. quartz

5. Which one of the following mineral groups exhibits a sheet-like silicate structure?
A. carbonates C. micas
B. pyroxenes D. feldspars

6. What element is the most abundant in the Earth's crust by weight?

A. carbon C. oxygen
B. chlorine D. sodium

7. The strong tendency of certain minerals to break along smooth, parallel planes is known as
A. streak C. cracking luster
B. cleavage D. habit

8. Which one of the following is NOT true for minerals?

A. They have a specific, internal, crystalline structure.
B. They can be a liquid, solid, or glass.
 C. Many have a specific, predictable chemical composition.
D. They can be identified by characteristic physical properties.

9. Which group of minerals are the most abundant in the Earth's crust?
A. sulfides C. silicates
B. carbonates D. halides

10. An igneous rock that contains vesicles ________.

A. is also extrusive
B. is also fine grained
C. contains many small holes
D. all of the above

11. Intrusive rocks ________.

A. are generally fine-grained
B. form at Earth's surface
C. are quite often vesicular
D. none of the above

12. Obsidian exhibits a ________ texture.

A. fine-grained C. coarse-grained
B. glassy D. porphyritic

13. This igneous texture is characterized by two distinctively different crystal sizes.
A. fine-grained C. coarse-grained
B. glassy D. porphyritic

14. Which of the rocks listed below is a popular building stone?

A. basalt C. granite
B. andesite D. diorite

15. Igneous rock is formed ________.

A. by the weathering of preexisting rocks
B. by changes in mineral composition
C. at great depth within Earth
D. by crystallization of magma

16. Chemical weathering would be most effective ________.

A. in a warm, dry climate
B. in a cold, dry climate
C. in a warm, humid climate
D. equally in any kind of climate

17. Which of the following is NOT a product of the chemical weathering of potassium feldspar?
A. silica C. iron oxide
B. potassium ions D. clay
18. Which one of the following is NOT related to chemical weathering?
A. decomposition C. hydrolysis
B. frost wedging D. oxidation

19. Which of these factors influence the type and rate of weathering?
A. mineral content C. topography
B. climate D. all of these

20. Which one of the following statements concerning mechanical weathering is NOT true?
A. reduces grain sizes of rock particles
B. allows for faster rates of chemical weathering
C. is important in the formation of talus slopes
D. involves a major change in the mineral composition of the weathered material

21. Which term describes a soil formed by weathering of the underlying bedrock?
A. transformational C. relict
B. residual D. transported

22. The finely divided, red, brown, and yellow soil-coloring minerals originate by what process?
A. mechanical weathering of very fine-grained, blue-gray clays
B. chemical weathering of quartz and feldspars
C. precipitation of iron oxides during the chemical weathering process
D. mechanical weathering of the feldspars and micas in granite and rhyolite

23. In terrain with steep hill slopes, which crop and cultivation technique will minimize soil erosion?
A. corn; rows trending straight down the slope, frequent cultivation
B. apples; land between the trees is planted in grass and not cultivated
C. winter wheat; after the harvest, the field is plowed and left idle until next fall
D. bean, rows are spaced wider than on a level field

24. All of the following are factors that affect rates of weathering except for ________.
A. rock characteristics C. climate
B. surface area D. geologic age of earth materials

25. What two factors speed up rates of chemical reaction and weathering in rocks and soils?
A. low temperatures; very dry
B. low temperatures; very moist
C. high temperatures; very dry
D. warm temperatures; very moist
II. Modified True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is correct. If it is false, replace the italicized 40. Like most other liquids, water decreases in volume when it freezes.
word(s) with the word(s) that will make the statement true.

26. All minerals exhibit cleavage. III. Critical Thinking and Discussion. Use complete sentences, correct spelling to answer the
questions below.

27. Rocks are aggregates of minerals. 41-45. Overall, the physical properties of minerals provide a reliable means to identify common
minerals. However, certain properties can exhibit a range of characteristics or values making them less
useful for identification purposes. Choose three physical properties that might vary considerably
28. Mineral luster is broadly classified as either being metallic or opaque. between samples of the same mineral and explain why such variability might exist.

29. Electrically neutral atoms have equal numbers of electrons and protons.
30. Most minerals have a higher specific gravity than water.
46-50. As a geologist working in a foreign country for the first time, you are asked to assess the
potential for mass wasting in a particular region. What aspects or characteristics (geologic, geographic,
biologic, etc.. of the region are you interested in for your assessment? Also, how could you possibly
determine if mass wasting has been active in the recent geologic past (100's or 1000's of years)?

31. The single most characteristic feature of sedimentary rocks is strata.

32. The largest quantity of metamorphic rock is produced by regional metamorphism.

33. Slate is associated with high-grade metamorphism.

34. Metamorphism is commonly associated with mountain building.

35. Metamorphism can affect only sedimentary rocks.

36. Very fine-grained, iron oxide particles account for nearly all red, yellow, and brown soil colors.

37. Sheeting is mainly a process of mechanical weathering.

38. Quartz is quite resistant to weathering and is an important component of sands in riverbeds and on
beaches.

39. Feldspars commonly decompose during weathering to clay minerals, silica, and soluble
constituents.