1. Fill in the blanks using the correct words.

a. The mineral _______________ , silicon dioxide SiO2, is created by combining the elements silicon and oxygen.

b. Coal, from plant materials, and _______________, created by corals and other sea creatures, are not minerals even though they are mined like many ores.

c. A _____________________ is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a definite chemical composition with a structure.

d. ________________________ is a rock that forms when lava from a volcano cools without crystallizing.

e. A ______________________ mineral has a luster if it looks like a polished metal such as gold, aluminum, lead or copper.

f. Fredrick Mohs, a mineralogist, devised a scale to test a mineral's resistance to being _____________________.

g. Conchoidal fracture in minerals creates a smooth _______________________ surface that is similar to the surface of a conch or seashell.

h. When a diamond cutter wants to get rid of a ______________ in a diamond he separates the flaw from the rest of the diamond by cleaving it off.

i. Mineral collectors use a mineral's _________________________ as a way to eliminate minerals when they are trying to identify an unknown mineral.

j. The most common method of obtaining a _______________________ is by drawing a piece of the mineral across a piece of unglazed porcelain.