Question 1
Limestone is composed almost entirely of calcite, which has the chemical formula CaCO
3. As a result, limestone is classified as ________.
◦ a rock
◦ a mineral
◦ both a mineral and a rock
◦ neither a mineral nor a rock because it is organic
Question 2
Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock?
◦ A rock has an orderly, repetitive, geometrical, internal arrangement of minerals; a mineral is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of rocks.
◦ In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of different mineral grains.
◦ A mineral consists of its constituent atoms arranged in a geometrically repetitive structure; in a rock, the atoms are randomly bonded without any geometric pattern.
◦ A rock consists of atoms bonded in a regular, geometrically predictable arrangement; a mineral is a consolidated aggregate of different rock particles.
Elephant Rock
Earth’s history spans 4.5 billion years. Geologists and paleontologists have pieced together the his
Rock Cycle
Processing—Mineral Resources
Remediating Acid Rock Drainage
Introduction of Water to Mantle Rock