Mineral Questions |
 |
Where can you find the mineral Quartz?
Why do scientists check rocks to see if they have calcite?
What types of crystals are there?
What affects growth of crystals and how?
Are amethysts part of geodes or are the minerals in geodes different?
Where is the mineral feldspar located in the United States?
Where does graphite come from?
What are gems and crystals used for?
Were do gems come from?
How do minerals form?
Which rocks have the name that means fire?
What is the strongest crystal?
How do I clean gems that I found while gem mining?
How many directions of cleavage does calcite, which forms rhomb-shaped fragments, contain?
Which of the following is the unit of weight used for measuring diamonds (about 0.2 grams)?
What element, when added to quartz, causes the purple color of amethyst?
What type of minerals dissolves best in water?
Why do minerals have different characteristics?
Why do minerals rarely exhibit pure chemical composition?
Potassium Feldspar is most likely to form in?
Which rocks have the name that means fire?
What is the largest quartz crystal ever found?
Are some minerals harder than others?
Where can you find the mineral Quartz?Quartz is one of the most common minerals on Earth. It can be found in many rocks all over the world.Back to Top  |
Why do scientists check rocks to see if they have calcite?Calcite can be a good indicator mineral for determining the type of rock and the how it was formed.Back to Top |
What types of crystals are there?There are many types of crystals in the world. Some of the most common are quartz, calcite and halite.Back to Top |
What affects growth of crystals and how?Many things can affect the growth of a crystal such as amount of solution available, location, space, temperature, and pressure.Back to Top |
Are amethysts part of geodes or are the minerals in geodes different?Geodes can contain amethyst crystals.Back to Top |
Where is the mineral feldspar located in the United States?Feldspar minerals are one of the most common rock forming minerals and can be found in many locations in the United States.Back to Top |
Where does graphite come from?Graphite is a native mineral made of carbon. China, India and Brazil tend to produce the most graphite from mines.Back to Top |
What are gems and crystals used for?Minerals have many different uses which range from dyes, fertilizers, building materials, to jewelry among others. For more information, check out this link for a Dig Into Science article on rocks and minerals.Back to Top |
Were do gems come from?Minerals can be found at many locations around the globe. The quality of the mineral specimen determines if the minerals are gem-quality.Back to Top |
How do minerals form?The most common methods are for minerals to form from the cooling of a liquid like molten lava from a volcano, hot liquids in caves or cracks, or from evaporation of a lake or sea.Back to Top |
Which rocks have the name that means fire?Pyrite. This mineral’s name means ‘fire’ in Greek.Back to Top |
What is the strongest crystal?Diamonds are the hardest crystals with strong carbon bonds.Back to Top |
How do I clean gems that I found while gem mining?To clean your samples start with a fine brush and gently brush soil and debris from the rock or mineral. Some rocks can be damaged by brushing too hard. You can use cold water to clean your specimens but be careful since some minerals dissolve in water. Also, never use hot water since the hot water can cause some minerals to crack or break.Back to Top |
How many directions of cleavage does calcite, which forms rhomb-shaped fragments, contain?Calcite has three (3) directions of cleavage.Back to Top |
Which of the following is the unit of weight used for measuring diamonds (about 0.2 grams)?Diamonds are measured in carats.Back to Top |
What element, when added to quartz, causes the purple color of amethyst?Ferric Iron (Fe3+) is the element that causes the color purple in amethyst.Back to Top |
What type of minerals dissolves best in water?Calcite can often dissolve in water.Back to Top |
Why do minerals have different characteristics?Minerals have different characteristics because they are made of varying elements and have different crystal structures.Back to Top |
Why do minerals rarely exhibit pure chemical composition?In order for a mineral to exhibit pure chemical composition, the right set of circumstances must be present. These circumstances include the right chemical elements and the right setting. Many factors are often present, such as available elements or poor location, that can alter the color or shape of a growing crystal.Back to Top |
Potassium Feldspar is most likely to form in?Microcline, sanidine, anorthoclase, and orthoclase are all potassium feldspars. Feldspars are some of the most common minerals on Earth most often occurring in igneous rocks although some feldspars are found in metamorphic rocks. Some notable occurrences of potassium feldspars are in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado, North Carolina, among other sites in the northeastern portion of the USA; Salzburg, Austria; Cornwall, England; Russia; Norway; Italy; and Madagascar and others.Back to Top |
Which rocks have the name that means fire?The mineral name "pyrite" is derived from the Greek word for fire. It is believed that pyrite got its name because it will spark when it is struck against steel. Pyrite is a mineral that is most often known as “fool’s gold” due to its resemblance to the real thing. Pyrite is silvery yellow in color and forms in cubes which have a shiny, metallic appearance. One of the best ways to tell pyrite from real gold is hardness. Gold is soft, while pyrite can not be scratched with a knife.Back to Top |
What is the largest quartz crystal ever found?Quartz is an amazing mineral with many forms. The largest crystal ever found was 20 feet long and weighed approxiamtely 48 tons (96,000 pounds)! The huge crystal was found in Brazil.Back to Top |
Are some minerals harder than others?Yes. The hardness of minerals varies greatly. Geologists use Moh's Hardness Scale to evaluate the relative hardness of a mineral. The Moh's Scale includes Talc (1), Gypsum (2), Calcite (3), Fluorite (4), Apatite (5), Orthoclase (6), Quartz (7), Topaz (8), Corundum (9) and Diamond (10). Some household items that are commonly used to test mineral hardness include a fingernail (2.5), coin (3.5) and knife (5.5).Back to Top |