Rocks & Minerals B/C
Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
Thank you! Is there any table available with properties of rocks/minerals or chart with pics that can be printed out?
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Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
There is a chart on the wiki, but I believe it is incomplete. It is probably best to make your own.akhaire1 wrote:Thank you! Is there any table available with properties of rocks/minerals or chart with pics that can be printed out?
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Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
I don't recommend a table. I recommend a page for each mineral with all of the properties written down.akhaire1 wrote:Thank you! Is there any table available with properties of rocks/minerals or chart with pics that can be printed out?
Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
Wouldn't it be harder to turn to each page for each rock/mineral than to look at the table?
Just wondering.
Just wondering.
Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
Also, how much time approximately do we get at each station? I'm worried I will not have enough time to identify the rock/mineral and answer the questions.
Thanks for all the help.
Thanks for all the help.
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Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
I usually start with a page for each object on the list, and then add some tables for common things afterward (though this is from my experience in Fossils).akhaire1 wrote:Wouldn't it be harder to turn to each page for each rock/mineral than to look at the table?
Just wondering.
Varies - usually between 2 and 4 minutes. Rate of questions generally varies from ~1 per minute on easier tests to ~8-10 per minute on very difficult tests.akhaire1 wrote:Also, how much time approximately do we get at each station? I'm worried I will not have enough time to identify the rock/mineral and answer the questions.
Thanks for all the help.
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Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
Or on the MIT test somewhere around 12-20 per minuteUnome wrote:I usually start with a page for each object on the list, and then add some tables for common things afterward (though this is from my experience in Fossils).akhaire1 wrote:Wouldn't it be harder to turn to each page for each rock/mineral than to look at the table?
Just wondering.
Varies - usually between 2 and 4 minutes. Rate of questions generally varies from ~1 per minute on easier tests to ~8-10 per minute on very difficult tests.akhaire1 wrote:Also, how much time approximately do we get at each station? I'm worried I will not have enough time to identify the rock/mineral and answer the questions.
Thanks for all the help.

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Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
Thank you!
I'm having trouble differentiating between all the black rocks, such as obsidian, anthracite, bituminous, and basalt. I'm having the same problem with white rocks such as calcite, alabaster, satin spar, selenite, and milky quartz. Are there any characteristics of these rocks that will help me quickly and easily tell them apart?
I'm having trouble differentiating between all the black rocks, such as obsidian, anthracite, bituminous, and basalt. I'm having the same problem with white rocks such as calcite, alabaster, satin spar, selenite, and milky quartz. Are there any characteristics of these rocks that will help me quickly and easily tell them apart?
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Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
I have some trouble with that too! The black ones are actually easier, because obsidian is always pretty shiny, anthracite is also shiny but not as smooth, bituminous is not smooth and less shiny, and basalt is not shiny at all. The white ones are always tough. Selenite is probably the easiest out of your list above because selenite is more clear with white streaks on it than completely white. Satin spar is also fairly distinct once you see enough of it with the rows on the side of it. Milky quartz is usually pretty distinct with its shape, but when it isn't, it's really easy to confuse it with the others. Calcite and alabaster and all the other white ones mess me up too, but usually I just look at the properties that make them different and test the rock/mineral to see which one it is. It's probably all just practice and experience in the end.akhaire1 wrote:Thank you!
I'm having trouble differentiating between all the black rocks, such as obsidian, anthracite, bituminous, and basalt. I'm having the same problem with white rocks such as calcite, alabaster, satin spar, selenite, and milky quartz. Are there any characteristics of these rocks that will help me quickly and easily tell them apart?
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Re: Rocks & Minerals B/C
I don't know if this question was asked before but what are some common minerals/rocks I might be asked to identify in regionals? Like, are some mineral groups/rocks more likely to be tested on than others on the list? Im in division C btw
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