FORMATIVE QUESTIONS

What is a mineral?

What is a crystal, and what determines a crystals shape?

Describe the two major groups of minerals.
What is a native element?

1. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a mineral?

a. It is formed in nature.
b. It is a living material.
c. It has a crystalline structure.
d. It is a solid.
2. Which of the following properties of minerals does Mohs scale measure?
a. luster
b. density
c. hardness
d. streak
3. Pure substances cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical
means are called ____________.
a. molecules
b. compounds
c. crystals
d. elements
4. Which of the following properties is considered a special property that applies to only a
few minerals?
a. luster
b. taste
c. hardness
d. density
5. Which of the following substances is a mineral?
a. fluorite, which is a crystalline solid with the chemical formula CaF 2
b. coal, which forms from the remains of living things

c. obsidian, which is a volcanic glass and is not crystalline

d. brass, which is a metal that is made by humans

FORMATIVE QUESTIONS
How are rocks formed?

How are rocks classified?

How does igneous rock become sedimentary rock?
How does sedimentary rock become metamorphic rock?
How does metamorphic rock become igneous rock?

1. Which of the following rocks is not normally used as a construction material?

a. marble
b. halite
c. limestone
d. granite
2. The process in which wind, water, ice, and heat break down rock is called _________.
a. uplift
b. intrusion
c. recystallization
d. weathering
3. What forms when rock partially or completely melts?
a. limestone
b. reefs
c. ripple marks
d. magma
4. Scientists classify rocks _________.
a. by composition and texture
b. by volume
c. by mass

d. by color and size

FORMATIVE QUESTIONS
How do igneous rocks form?

What characteristics are used to classify igneous rocks?

Describe three (3) ways in which igneous rocks differ?
What is the difference between extrusive and intrusive rocks? Give an example of
each.
Why are some igneous rocks dark and others light?

1. Which of the following are ways magma is formed?

a. by compaction and cooling
b. by melting and cooling
c. by changes in composition
d. by weathering and erosion
2. What kind of texture does igneous rock have when magma cools slowly?
a. coarse-grained
b. large-grained
c. fine-grained
d. medium-grained

3. What kind of texture does igneous rock have when magma cools rapidly?
a. coarse-grained
b. medium-grained
c. large-grained
d. fine-grained
4. What kind of rock is formed when magma intrudes into other rock?
a. extrusive igneous rock
b. sedimentary rock
c. intrusive igneous rock
d. organic sedimentary rock
5. What kind of rock is formed from lava that cools on Earths surface?
a. organic sedimentary rock
b. sedimentary rock
c. intrusive igneous rock
d. extrusive igneous rock

FORMATIVE QUESTIONS
How is sedimentary rock formed?

Describe the origin of sedimentary rock.

Describe the three main categories of sedimentary rock.
Describe three types of sedimentary structures.

1. Which process forms sediment?

a. weathering
b. cementation
c. compaction
d. deposition

2. What are strata?

a. mineral fragments
b. minerals crystallized out of solution
c. layers in sedimentary rock
d. fossils in sedimentary rock
3. What kind of sedimentary rock is made of fragments of rocks cemented together by a
mineral?
a. organic
b. stratified
c. chemical
d. clastic
4. What kind of sedimentary rock is made from solutions of dissolved minerals in water?
a. organic
b. chemical
c. stratified
d. clastic
5. What kind of sedimentary rock is made from fossils?
a.
b.
c.
d.

organic
stratified
chemical
clastic

6. What is the process called in which sedimentary rocks are arranged in layers?
a. erosion
b. extrusion
c. weathering
d. stratification

FORMATIVE QUESTIONS
How is metamorphic rock formed?

How are metamorphic rocks formed?

Describe two ways a rock can undergo metamorphism.
Describe the difference between foliated and nonfoliated metamorphic rock.

1. How does metamorphic rock form?

A. by intense heat and pressure
B. erosion, deposition, compaction, cementation
C. melting into lava or magma, then cooling into a new rock
D. by pressing together and then cementation
2. Molten rock beneath Earths surface is called
a. Lava.
b. Magma.
c. Sedimentary rock.
d. Igneous rock.
3. If you wanted to duplicate conditions in a laboratory that produced metamorphic rock
from sedimentary rock, what would you need to do?
a.
b.
c.
d.

apply pressure to the rock

apply high temperature to the rock
apply high pressure and high temperature to the rock
let the rock stand under water for a long time

4. Which of the following is a metamorphic rock?

a. Granite
b. Sandstone
c. Limestone
d. marble
5. Metamorphic rocks can be formed from _______.
a. igneous rocks
b. sedimentary rocks
c. metamorphic rocks
d. all rock groups
6. The rock formed when granite changes to a metamorphic rock is ________.
a. marble
b. basalt
c. gneiss
d. pumice

7. Metamorphic rocks that have their grains arranged in parallel bands or layered are said
to be ___________.
a. jagged grained
b. foliated
c. nonfoliated
d. coarse grained
8. The heat that changes a rock into metamorphic rock comes from ______.
a. friction of plate movement
b. the sun
c. the heat of the mantle
d. chemical rocks in the crust
9. Geologist classify metamorphic rock according to _____________.
a. the exterior color of the rock
b. the overall shape of the rock
c. the arrangement of the grains that make up the rock
d. the degree of hardness of the rock
10. Which type of rock is MOST LIKELY to form layers?
a.
b.
c.
d.

Sedimentary
Igneous
Metamorphic
magma

11. The _________ of a rock is determined by the sizes, shapes, and positions of the minerals
the rock contains.
12. ________ metamorphic rock contains minerals that are arranged in plains or bands.
13. The most characteristic property of sedimentary rock is __________.
14. Sedimentary rock is classified into all of the following main categories except _________.
a. clastic sedimentary rock
b. chemical sedimentary rock
c. nonfoliated sedimentary rock
d. organic sedimentary rock
15. An igneous rock that cools very slowly has a __________ texture.
a. foliated

b. fine-grained
c. nonfoliated
d. coarse-grained
16. Igneous rocks forms when _________________.
a. minerals crystallize from a solution
b. sand grains are cemented together
c. magma cools and solidifies
d. mineral grains in a rock recrystallize
17. A __________ is a common structure found in metamorphic rock.
a. ripple mark
b. fold
c. sill
d. layer
18. The process in which sediment is removed from its source and transported is called
____________.
a. deposition
b. erosion
c. weathering
d. uplift
19. Mafic rocks are ____________.
a. light-colored rocks rich in calcium, iron, and magnesium
b. dark-colored rocks rich in aluminum, potassium, silica, and sodium
c. light-colored rocks rich in aluminum, potassium, silica, and sodium
d. dark-colored rocks rich in calcium, iron, and magnesium

How do the forces within the earth affect the formations of the Earths surface?
1. The very top layer of Earth, found under soil and water is which of the following:
a. upper mantle
b. crust
c. asthenosphere
d. outer core
2. Which of the following causes the difference between the upper mantle and lower mantle?
a. heat

b. pressure
c. erosion
d. weathering
3. The pressure on the inner core can be compared to which of the following:
a. The same pressure as the pressure around an exploding bomb.
b. The same pressure as the pressure of a volcano erupting.
c. The same pressure as the pressure of hurricane wind
4. The reason we have a magnetic field is due to the:
a. gravitational pull of the sun.
b. gravitational pull of Earth.
c. movement of the inner core.
d. movement of the outer core.
5. From the lowest to highest temperature, which is the correct order of Earths layers?
A.
B.
C.
D.

inner core, outer core, mantle, crust

mantle, crust, outer core, inner core
crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
crust, mantle, inner core, outer core

6. In general, how does the density of material in Earths layers change with depth?
a. density increases with depth
b. density decreases with depth
c. density does not change with depth
d. density increases, then decreases with depth
7. In Earths crust, what type of rock is found under the oceans?
a. only granite
b. only basalt
c. granite on top, basalt underneath
d. basalt on top, granite underneath
8. The thickest layer of the Earth is the _____________.
a. crust
b. mantle
c. outer core
d. inner core

9. The Moho is the boundary between the ____________.

a. inner and outer core.
b. the outer core and the mantle.
c. the crust and the mantle.
d. the crust and the atmosphere.
Compare the temperature of Earths four (4) layers.
Crust ______________________________
Mantle _____________________________
Outer Core _________________________
Inner Core __________________________
Inside the Earth, What increases with depth?
A: ______________________________

FORMATIVE QUESTIONS
How does weathering occur?

Describe three ways abrasion occurs in nature.

List three things that cause chemical weathering of rocks.
Describe the similarity in the ways tree roots and ice mechanically weather rock.
Describe five (5) sources of chemical weathering.

1. Which of the following things cannot cause mechanical weathering?

A. water
B. acid
C. wind
D. animals
2. Which of the following is a type of frost action?
A. abrasion
B. oxidation
C. ice wedging
D. gravity
3. Which of the following types of chemical weathering causes a karst landscape, such as a
cavern?
A. lichens
B. acid precipitation
C. acids in groundwater
D. water
4. How do lichens slowly break down a rock?
A. by abrasion
B. by mechanical means
C. by ice wedging
D. by chemical means
5. Which of the following will most likely experience oxidation?
A. tennis ball
B. aluminum can
C. wooden fence
D. Bicycle tire
6. A process by which softer, less weather-resistant rocks wear away and leave harder, more
weather-resistant rocks behind is called
A. differential weathering
B. mechanical weathering
C. chemical weathering
D. ice wedging

7. Which of the following statements describe a rock change after it is in a riverbed for a
long period of time?
A. The rock rapidly breaks into smaller pieces.
B. Chunks of the rock break off, and the rock becomes rougher.
C. The edges of the rock are worn away, so its surface becomes smoother.
D. The rock absorbs water from the riverbed and becomes softer.
8. Small rocks weather more quickly than larger rocks because their surface area is_______.
A. thinner
B. larger
C. smaller
D. thicker
9. The average weather condition in an area over a long period of time is called _______.
A. temperature
B. climate
C. weather
D. humidity
10. Chemical weathering is most rapid in areas that are ________.
A. hot and dry
B. warm and wet
C. cold and dry
D. cool and wet
11. Which rocks are exposed to more wind, rain, and ice?
A. rocks at a lower elevation
B. rocks at a higher elevation
C. rocks in streams
D. rocks in warm, humid climate