Question

"Fewer than 50 minerals on Earth are ________."

a. found on the Earth.
b. used for industrial purposes.
c. found in the crust.
d. commonly found in rocks.

Answer 1

Fewer than 50 minerals are commonly found in rocks, and only a handful of these make up the vast majority of the Earth's crust.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question "Fewer than 50 minerals on Earth are ________." is d. commonly found in rocks. Although there are over 5,000 known minerals, most rocks are composed of a relatively small number of common minerals. In fact, only about seven minerals make up 84% of Earth's crust. Minerals like quartz are commonly found and make up a significant portion of many rocks. Identifying these common minerals is often easier and doesn't require advanced equipment, making it a fundamental skill for geologists studying rocks in the field.