1. Earth Materials
Mineral Properties — Quiz
Test your understanding of mineral properties with 5 practice questions.
Practice Questions
Question 1
A mineral sample weighs 10 g in air and 6 g when submerged in water. What is its specific gravity?
Question 2
Which pair of cleavage angles is characteristic of amphibole minerals such as hornblende?
Question 3
In thin section under cross-polarized light, a mineral grain remains dark through a full 360° rotation of the microscope stage. This behavior indicates an isotropic mineral. Which mineral is most likely being observed?
Question 4
A mineral thin section of thickness 30 μm shows a retardation of 450 nm under cross-polarized light. What is the mineral’s birefringence?
Question 5
Which optical property describes a mineral’s change in color under plane-polarized light as the microscope stage is rotated?