About Rocks, Minerals and Volcanoes Quiz
The ground under your feet has a long story, and the Rocks, Minerals and Volcanoes Quiz tells it one question at a time. You will meet the three families of rock and the rock cycle that turns one into another, common minerals and how geologists tell them apart by hardness, lustre and streak, and gemstones that are really minerals. The quiz also covers plate tectonics, earthquakes and faults, volcanoes and their eruptions, how fossils form and the eras of geologic time, with Canadian places such as the Canadian Shield and the Burgess Shale. Each answer comes with a short explanation.
How to play Rocks, Minerals and Volcanoes Quiz
- Press Start for the first of ten questions. The clock starts with it and stops at your last answer.
- Each question asks about rocks, minerals and gems, volcanoes, earthquakes, fossils or geologic time.
- Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4 (or A to D) on a keyboard. Answers are final: you see the right one and a one-line explanation, then press Next.
- Most correct answers ranks first, then the fastest time. Only a member’s first finished quiz of the day counts for the leaderboard.
Tips & strategy
- Remember the three families: igneous rock cools from melted rock, sedimentary rock builds up in layers, and metamorphic rock is changed by heat and pressure.
- The Mohs scale runs from talc at 1 to diamond at 10, and a fingernail scratches only the softest minerals.
- Most volcanoes and earthquakes happen where tectonic plates meet, such as around the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Rocks, Minerals and Volcanoes Quiz: questions and answers
Is a gemstone a mineral?
Most are: diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds are minerals, while a few gems, such as amber and pearl, come from living things.
Does the quiz include Canadian geology?
Yes, where the facts are well documented, such as the Canadian Shield and the fossils of the Burgess Shale in British Columbia.
How many questions does the Rocks, Minerals and Volcanoes Quiz have?
167 checked questions: 49 easy, 68 medium and 50 hard. Each day takes ten, easiest first, and a question doesn’t come back until its level has been used up.