Which term best describes a solid mass of individual randomly oriented crystals held together by a natural binding agent?

• A. Aggregate
• B. Atom
• C. Crystal
• D. Covalent Bond

Answer: (A)

A solid mass made up of many crystals with random orientations held together by a natural binding agent is described as an aggregate. The key idea is that the material is a collection of discrete crystals that are not aligned as one single crystal but are bound together by cementing material, forming a cohesive mass.

This differs from a crystal, which implies a single, orderly lattice. It also isn’t an atom, which is a basic unit of matter, nor a covalent bond, which is a type of chemical bond—not a description of a macroscopic mass of crystals bound together.