Question

(16) (geographers, mineralogists, zoologists, astronomers) have identified over 4,000 different minerals.
(17) about 200 minerals are so common and compose so much of earths crust that they are called (metal, vein, alloyed, rock-forming) minerals.
(18) mineral ________________________ and minerals are concentrated in relatively small areas scattered around the world.
(19) coal, petroleum, and natural gas are not true minerals because they are (organic, inorganic, liquid, metal) in origin, but some references classify them as mineral fuels.
(20) during and after the flood, heat and pressure from the overlying sediment changed the plant remains into (alloys, coal, slag, pig iron).
(21) (coke, bituminous, lignite, anthracite) is a hard, black, brittle coal that burns hotly with almost no smoke.
(22) ________________________ is the largest by-product from coal heated in an airtight oven.
(23) metals have a distinguishing metallic (taste, color, luster, crystal), are good conductors of heat and electricity, and are tough, ductile, and malleable.
(24) ______________________ means the metal can be hammered into thin sheets and different shapes; ______________________ means the metal can be drawn into a wire.
(25) the most widely used metal today is (copper, zinc, titanium, iron).
(26) metals combined with other elements form compounds known as (crystals, ores, pig iron, slag).
(27) ores found in the seams of rocks are called (faults, streaks, pockets, veins).
(28) ________________________ is the process used to remove mineral resources from earth.
(29) the practicality and method of mining depend upon the ________________________ and type of mineral to be mined.
(30) in (strip, open-pit, placer, quarry) mining, dense minerals can be separated from the surrounding soil by washing away the lighter soil, leaving the heavy minerals behind.
(31) digging machines remove ore from the surface of a large open hole in the ground in ________________________ mining.

Explanation:

Each answer is based on core concepts of Earth's mineral resources, coal properties, metal characteristics, and mining methods.

Answer:

1. Mineralogists
2. rock-forming
3. deposits
4. organic
5. coal
6. Anthracite
7. Coke
8. luster
9. Malleability; Ductility
10. iron
11. ores
12. veins
13. Mining
14. location
15. placer
16. open-pit