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6th grade science unit 3 Earth's Comp and Changes posttest 25-26 DUE: Dec 19 — 24 Questions
Armstrong, Kennedee

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Rocks and Minerals
Read the passage and answer the following question(s).

Rocks and Minerals

Students are learning about the differences in classifying rocks and minerals. They discover that minerals occur in nature and have definite chemical compositions and physical properties. Rocks are composed of one of more minerals or a body of mineral matter.

Minerals can be identified using a series of tests. The tests used to identify minerals are color, hardness, luster, crystal forms, density, and cleavage.

The students are given multiple samples and are told to perform several experiments to determine the classification of the samples.

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Question 13.


The students were given several minerals and a Mohs hardness scale. The students then investigated which minerals could scratch the others. The table shows the Mohs hardness scale, which is used to test the hardness of minerals.

Mineral Mohs Hardness
Talc 1
Gypsum 2
Calcite 3
Fluorite 4
Apatite 5
Feldspar 6
Quartz 7
Topaz 8
Corundum 9
Diamond 10
Using the scale, select the mineral that is described in each row.

Gypsum Fluorite Topaz Quartz
Can be scratched by Diamond but not Quartz




Can be scratched by Fluorite but not Talc




Can be scratched by Topaz but not Feldspar




Can be scratched by Feldspar but not Calcite




Question 14.


The students are instructed to create a poster comparing rocks and minerals. Drag and drop the descriptions into the appropriate category in the diagram.




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Answer 1

Question 13 — matches (using Mohs hardness):
1. Can be scratched by Diamond but not Quartz — Topaz
2. Can be scratched by Fluorite but not Talc — Gypsum
3. Can be scratched by Topaz but not Feldspar — Quartz
4. Can be scratched by Feldspar but not Calcite — Fluorite

Question 14 — poster sorting (place each description under Rocks or Minerals):

Minerals:
- Occur in nature
- Have a definite chemical composition
- Have characteristic physical properties used to identify them (color, hardness, luster, crystal form, density, cleavage)
- Are the building blocks of rocks

Rocks:
- Made of one or more minerals or a body of mineral matter
- Do not have a single definite chemical composition (composition can vary)
- Classified by how they form (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic)
- Examples: granite, sandstone, marble