Mining and Minerals Study Guide

Question 1

What are the 5 characteristics of a mineral?

Answer 1

Inorganic
Naturally occurring
Solid
Orderly crystalline structure
Definite chemical composition

Question 2

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

Answer 2

A rock is a solid mass of mineral or mineral-like matter

Question 3

What two elements are most abundant on Earth’s surface?

Answer 3

Oxygen and Silicone

Question 4

Oxygen and Silicon form what mineral group?

Answer 4

Silicates

Question 5

What are the four main ways minerals form?

Answer 5

Crystallized from magma
Perceipitation
Extreme pressure and temperature
Hydrothermal Solutions

Question 6

List some native elements

Answer 6

Gold, copper, silver, sulfur, carbon

Question 7

What are the four spheres of the Earth?

Answer 7

Geospere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Atmosphere

Question 8

What is the formula for density?

Answer 8

m/v
(m/d=v v*d=m)

Question 9

What two spheres interact when a river erodes the stream bank?

Answer 9

hydroshere and geosphere

Question 10

What are the layers of the Earth?

Answer 10

Crust, Upper mantle, Lower mantle, Outer crust, Inner crust

Question 11

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 11

The crust and upper mantle

Question 12

What is the Earth system?

Answer 12

A group of interacting spheres

Question 13

What powers the Earth System?

Answer 13

Sun and Earth interior

Question 14

Positive or Negative feedback loop?
An increase in C02 has led to an increase in air temperature. This leads to an increase in evaporation. This leads to an increase in water vapor. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, it causes temperatures to increase.

Answer 14

Positive feedback loop

Question 15

What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?

Answer 15

Renewable resources are replenished within a short time (months to years)
Nonrenewable resources take millions of years to replenish

Question 16

List ways minerals can be mined

Answer 16

Surface: strip, placer, open pit, mountain top
Subsurface

Question 17

What is an ore?

Answer 17

A metal found in high density of an area

Question 18

How could mining impact the Earth’s spheres?

Answer 18

Biosphere: destroys habitats
Hydrosphere: makes water toxic
Atmosphere: pollution
Geosphere: rocks are torn out of the ground

Question 19

Ways that mining is becoming more sustainable

Answer 19

Legislation that shuts down illegal minning
Finding ways to reuse water
Eco-friendly equipment

Question 20

List some nonrenewable resources

Answer 20

Coal, oil, natural gas

Question 21

List some renewable resources

Answer 21

Water, air, solar

Question 22

provide a brief description of the crust

Answer 22

Outermost layer (hard and least dense)

Question 23

provide a brief description of the mantle

Answer 23

Flows slowly (consistency of peanut butter)

Question 24

provide a brief description of the outer core

Answer 24

liquid iron and nickel

Question 25

provide a brief description of the inner core

Answer 25

Iron and nickel in the solid state (most dense)