Question

Which of the following represents the largest and most important group of rock-forming minerals? The bulk of the crust of the Earth is composed of these minerals.

1) oxides
2) silicates
3) native elements
4) sulfates
5) carbonates

Answer 1

The silicates represent the largest and most important group of rock-forming minerals, making up about 90% of the Earth's crust, primarily in the form of igneous rocks like oceanic basalt and continental granite.

Step-by-step explanation:

The largest and most important group of rock-forming minerals that composes the bulk of the Earth's crust are silicates.

These minerals form around a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron and include approximately 30% of all minerals.

However, they are even more prevalent in the Earth's crust; it's estimated that silicates make up about 90% of the Earth's crust.

They are significant due to the abundance of oxygen and silicon, which are the most abundant elements in the crust.

Silicates are not only the most abundant but also some of the most varied and complex mineral classes.

Oceanic basalt and continental granite, which are both igneous rocks, largely make up the Earth's solid surface and are predominantly composed of silicate minerals.

Quartz, one of the most common and recognizable minerals in the Earth's crust, is also a silicate.