1.) Classify Rocks into three (3) Major Categories and Explain.

a. Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks form from the cooling of melted rock (either lava or magma) into solid form. If the
cooling occurs underground, the rock is an intrusive, or plutonic, igneous rock. If the cooling
occurs on the earth's surface, the rock is an extrusive or volcanic rock. This is an exothermic
process (it loses heat) and involves a phase change from the liquid to the solid state. The earth
is made of igneous rock - at least at the surface where our planet is exposed to the coldness of
space. And Igneous rocks are given names based upon two things: composition (what they are
made of) and texture (how big the crystals are).
b. Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic rocks form when existing rocks are subjected to intense heat and pressure, usually
deep below the earth's surface. These conditions change the original minerals of the rock into
new minerals. The metamorphics get their name from "meta" (change) and "morph" (form). Any
rock can become a metamorphic rock. All that is required is for the rock to be moved into an
environment in which the minerals which make up the rock become unstable and out of
equilibrium with the new environmental conditions. In most cases, this involves burial which
leads to a rise in temperature and pressure. The metamorphic changes in the minerals always
move in a direction designed to restore equilibrium. Common metamorphic rocks include slate,
schist, gneiss, and marble.
c. Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks are either detrital or chemical. Detrital rocks are formed by the compaction of
separate particles, or sediments, into a rock. The particles are pieces of a different, pre-existing
rock that have been weathered and transported by wind, water, ice, or gravity. Chemical
sedimentary rocks form from minerals that have been dissolved in water and precipitate out,
forming a solid rock. In most places on the surface, the igneous rocks which make up the
majority of the crust are covered by a thin veneer of loose sediment, and the rock which is made
as layers of this debris get compacted and cemented together. Sedimentary rocks are called
secondary, because they are often the result of the accumulation of small pieces broken off of
pre-existing rocks. There are three main types of sedimentary rocks:
Clastic: your basic sedimentary rock. Clastic sedimentary rocks are accumulations of
clasts: little pieces of broken up rock which have piled up and been "lithified" by
compaction and cementation.
Chemical: many of these form when standing water evaporates, leaving dissolved
minerals behind. These are very common in arid lands, where seasonal "playa lakes"
occur in closed depressions. Thick deposits of salt and gypsum can form due to
repeated flooding and evaporation over long periods of time.
Organic: any accumulation of sedimentary debris caused by organic processes. Many
animals use calcium for shells, bones, and teeth. These bits of calcium can pile up on
the seafloor and accumulate into a thick enough layer to form an "organic" sedimentary
rock.
2.) What are the properties of rocks and minerals? (Physical and Chemical)
a. Rocks
Physical
Luster - the state or quality of shining by reflecting light.
glitter
- Sparkle
- sheen
- gloss
Texture - the visual and tactile (how it feels) quality of a surface
-

Rough
soft

rigid
bumpy

smooth
hard

gritty

Shape - a specific form

- round
circular
oval
- square
diamond
rectangle
Size - the spatial dimensions, proportions, magnitude, or bulk of something
- small
large
medium
- tiny
pea
size
Weight - the amount or quantity of heaviness or mass
- heavy
dense
volume
sum
- piece
pile
bulk
chunk
Color - the quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected off the object
- bright, dull, and light
- black charcoal grey brown tan gold silver
- yellow orange green blue red purple pink white
Chemical
-

Element

Oxygen
Silicon
Aluminum
Iron
Calcium
Sodium
Potassium
Magnesium
b. Minerals
Physical
Color
-

Chemical Symbol
-

O
Si
Al
Fe
Ca
Na
K
Mg

Percent Weight in
Earth's Crust
46.60
27.72
8.13
5.00
3.63
2.83
2.59
2.09
-

Most minerals have a distinctive color that can be used for identification. In
opaque minerals, the color tends to be more consistent, so learning the colors
associated with these minerals can be very helpful in identification. Translucent
to transparent minerals have a much more varied degree of color due to the
presence of trace minerals. Therefore, color alone is not reliable as a single
identifying characteristic.

Streak
- Streak is the color of the mineral in powdered form. Streak shows the true color
of the mineral. In large solid form, trace minerals can change the color
appearance of a mineral by reflecting the light in a certain way. Trace minerals
have little influence on the reflection of the small powdery particles of the streak.
- The streak of metallic minerals tends to appear dark because the small particles
of the streak absorb the light hitting them. Non-metallic particles tend to reflect
most of the light so they appear lighter in color or almost white.
- Because streak is a more accurate illustration of the minerals color, streak is a
more reliable property of minerals than color for identification.
Hardness
- Hardness is one of the better properties of minerals to use for identifying a
mineral. Hardness is a measure of the minerals resistance to scratching. The
Mohs scale is a set of 10 minerals whose hardness is known. The softest
mineral, talc, has a Mohs scale rating of one. Diamond is the hardest mineral
and has a rating of ten. Softer minerals can be scratched by harder minerals
because the forces that hold the crystals together are weaker and can be
broken by the harder mineral.The following is a listing of the minerals of the
Mohs scale and their rating:

- Talc

Calcite
- Fluorite

Apatite
Orthoclase
Feldspar

Quartz
Topaz

Corundum
Diamond

Cleavage & Fracture

- Minerals tend to break along lines or smooth surfaces when hit sharply. Different
minerals break in different ways showing different types of cleavage.
- Cleavage is defined using two sets of criteria. The first set of criteria describes
how easily the cleavage is obtained. Cleavage is considered perfect if it is easily
obtained and the cleavage planes are easily distinguished. It is considered good
if the cleavage is produced with some difficulty but has obvious cleavage
planes. Finally it is considered imperfect if cleavage is obtained with difficulty
and some of the planes are difficult to distinguish.
- The second set of criteria is the direction of the cleavage surfaces. The names
correspond to the shape formed by the cleavage surfaces: Cubic,
rhombohedral, octahedral, dodecahedral, basal or prismatic. These criteria are
defined specifically by the angles of the cleavage lines as indicated in the chart
below:
- Cleavage Type Angles
- Cubic
Cleaves in three directions @ 90o to one anotherRhombohedral
Cleaves in three directions but not @ 90o to one anotherOctahedral
Cleaves in four directionsDodecahedral Cleaves in six directionsBasal
Cleaves in one directionPrismatic Cleaves in two directions
- Fracture describes the quality of the cleavage surface. Most minerals display
either uneven or grainy fracture, conchoidal (curved, shell-like lines) fracture, or
hackly (rough, jagged) fracture.
Crystalline Structure
- Mineral crystals occur in various shapes and sizes. The particular shape is
determined by the arrangement of the atoms, molecules or ions that make up
the crystal and how they are joined. This is called the crystal lattice. There are
degrees of crystalline structure, in which the fibers of the crystal become
increasingly difficult or impossible to see with the naked eye or the use of a
hand lens. Microcrystalline and cryptocrystalline structures can only be viewed
using high magnification. If there is no crystalline structure, it is called
amorphous. However, there are very few amorphous crystals and these are only
observed under extremely high magnification.
Transparency or Diaphaneity
- Diaphaneity is a minerals degree of transparency or ability to allow light to pass
through it. The degree of transparency may also depend on the thickness of the
mineral.
Tenacity
- Tenacity is the characteristic that describes how the particles of a mineral hold
together or resist separation. The chart below gives the list of terms used to
describe tenacity and a description of each term.
Magnetism
- Magnetism is the characteristic that allows a mineral to attract or repel other
magnetic materials. It can be difficult to determine the differences between the
various types of magnetism, but it is worth knowing that there are distinctions
made.
Luster

Odor
-

Luster is the property of minerals that indicates how much the surface of a
mineral reflects light. The luster of a mineral is affected by the brilliance of the
light used to observe the mineral surface. Luster of a mineral is described in the
following terms:
Metallic The mineral is opaque and reflects light as a metal would.Submettalic
The mineral is opaque and dull. The mineral is dark colored.Nonmettalic The
mineral does not reflect light like a metal.
Nonmetallic minerals are described using modifiers that refer to commonly
known qualities.
Waxy The mineral looks like paraffin or wax.Vitreous The mineral looks like
broken glass.Pearly The mineral appears iridescent, like a pearl.Silky The
mineral looks fibrous, like silk.Greasy The mineral looks like oil on
water.Resinous The mineral looks like hardened tree sap (resin).Adamantine
The mineral looks brilliant, like a diamond.
Most minerals have no odor unless they are acted upon in one of the following
ways: moistened, heated, breathed upon, or rubbed.

Taste
-

Only soluble minerals have a taste, but it is very important that minerals not be
placed in the mouth or on the tongue. You should not test for this property in the
classroom.
Specific Gravity
- Specific Gravity of a mineral is a comparison or ratio of the weight of the mineral
to the weight of an equal amount of water. The weight of the equal amount of
water is found by finding the difference between the weight of the mineral in air
and the weight of the mineral in water.
Chemical

R
C

3.) Discuss the Rock Cycle

a. The Rock Cycleis a group of changes. Igneous rock can change into sedimentary rock or into
metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rock can change into metamorphic rock or into igneous rock.
Metamorphic rock can change into igneous or sedimentary rock.
4.) Origin and Environmental Formation of common minerals and rocks
Igneous rock forms by the solidification and crystallization of magma. Igneous rock may be
intrusive (meaning it formed within the crust) or extrusive (meaning it formed on the surface).
The grain sizes of igneous rocks indicate how and where the rocks formed. Igneous rocks rich in
quartz and feldspar, such as granite, granodiorite, and rhyolite, are characteristically found in the
continental crust. Basalt, which is rich in pyroxene and feldspar, is derived from magma formed
in the mantle and is common in the oceanic crust. All bodies of intrusive igneous rock are called
plutons. Special names are given to plutons based on shape and size. Volcanic activity is
concentrated along plate margins. Andesitic volcanoes are found at subduction margins, and
basaltic volcanoes are concentrated along spreading margins. Rhyolitic volcanoes occur at
collision margins and in places where rising basaltic magma causes the continental crust to melt.
Magma forms by the partial melting of rock. (Complete melting, if it happens at all, is rare).
Basaltic magma forms by dry partial melting of rock in the mantle. Andesitic magma forms during
subduction by wet partial melting of mantle rock as a result of water being released from heated
oceanic crust. Rhyolitic magma forms by wet partial melting of rock in the continental crust.
Processes that separate remaining melt from already formed crystals in a cooling magma lead to
the formation of a wide diversity of igneous rocks. Magmatic mineral deposits, which form as a
result of magmatic differentiation, are the world major sources of nickel, chromium, vanadium,
platinum, beryllium, and a number of other important industrial metals.