Crystals and Minerals Quiz: 15 Geology Questions
Crystals and minerals are the jewels of our planet, formed over millions of years deep within the Earth. From quartz to diamond, can you uncover their geological secrets?
🏅 Best score: –
Frequently asked questions: Crystals & Minerals
A preview of what awaits you in this crystals & minerals quiz: 15 multiple choice questions, each with a detailed explanation so you learn as you play. Here are a few sample questions (and their answers, no peeking before you play!).
Which mineral is the hardest on the Mohs scale?
Answer: Diamond. Diamond ranks 10 on the Mohs scale, making it the hardest natural mineral. It is about four times harder than corundum (ruby, sapphire), which ranks 9.
Which common mineral is used as a seasoning in cooking?
Answer: Halite (rock salt). Halite, or rock salt, is the mineral made of sodium chloride (NaCl) that we use as table salt. It is found in large underground deposits formed by the evaporation of ancient oceans.
Which gemstone is a red variety of corundum?
Answer: Ruby. Ruby is a red variety of corundum (aluminium oxide). Its red colour is due to the presence of chromium. Sapphire is also a corundum, but blue in colour.
What colour is malachite?
Answer: Green. Malachite is a copper mineral of an intense green colour with characteristic concentric bands. Used since antiquity as a pigment and an ornamental stone, it owes its colour to the copper it contains.
What phenomenon gives opals their characteristic play of colours?
Answer: The diffraction of light by silica microspheres. The play of colours in opal is caused by the diffraction of light through millions of silica microspheres stacked in a regular pattern. The size of these spheres determines the colours that can be seen.
Fancy another challenge? Discover all our free science quizzes or browse the latest quizzes. And to go from theory to practice, explore our science kits at Science Gifts.