ROCKS & MINERALS NOTES name: KEY

A mineral is… a naturally occurring, The SEVEN properties/ characteristics used to

inorganic, solid with a definite chemical identify minerals are (briefly describe each):
composition and arrangement of
1. HARDNESS: Hardness is measured using the
atoms.
__Moh’s__ Scale. The scale shows which minerals
To be a mineral, a substance must be: will scratch and which ones won’t. On Moh’s Scale,
__Talc__ is the softest mineral, so it is a _1___ on
1. __Inorganic_(nonliving) the scale. A Diamond_ is a 10 because it is the
2. _naturally occurring_(not be hardest.
manmade) 2. DENSITY: This is also known as _SPECIFIC
3. be made of one or more GRAVITY. Density is how much mass a mineral has
___elements_ compared to how much space it takes up. Specific
gravity can be used to tell the difference between
EXAMPLES of minerals: ______________ real gold and _Pyrite (“fool’s gold”).
_________________________________ 3. LUSTER: Luster is the way that a mineral
__reflects __ light. It is metallic or non-metallic? Is
it glassy? Pearly? Dull?
4. STREAK: To find a mineral’s streak, you rub the
mineral on an unglazed tile and examine the color
of the _mark_that is left behind (kind of like chalk
on the sidewalk). In order to find a mineral’s streak,
the mineral must be _darker_ than the streak plate.
5. COLOR: _color is the first thing that you see
when you look at mineral. This is NOT_ the best
property to use because some minerals come in
MANY colors!
6. HOW IT BREAKS: __cleavage___ is when a
mineral breaks along FLAT surfaces. _fracture_ is
the tendency of a mineral to break along curved or
uneven surfaces.
7. CRYSTAL STRUCTURE: cubic, hexagonal, etc.
OTHER SPECIAL PROPERTIES: MAGNETISM,
CHEMICAL REACTION, FLOURESENCE
ORES:
Ores are minerals from which __metal*_ can be removed. Removing ore from the Earth is
called ___mining__. Ores can be crushed, then melted, and mixed to produce metals.
 A ROCK is a mixture of: minerals, volcanic glass, organic matter,
or other material.
T THERE ARE ___three_____ MAIN TYPES OF ROCKS.

Igneous: Created by the Sedimentary: Created through S Metamorphic: Created

cooling of _magma__ the processes of Weathering, when an existing rock is
(below the surface) or erosion, deposition, compaction, &
cementation.
exposed to extreme
___lava___ (above the __heat__ &
( (CHEMICAL)
surface) ___pressure_____.

Characterized by where they Characterized by

are formed & their grain.
grain arrangement.
COARSE grained means it Clastic/ Organic:
has _large grains, while FINE Detrital: Chemical
Form from
grained means it has small or Formed
R Rock the FOLIATED NONfoliated
glassy grains. grains in
fragments through remains of Have their
these rocks
SQUEEZED the once living grains
are arranged
together. things arranged in
chemical randomly;
parallel
INTRUSIVE EXTRUSIVE Grouped by: process thin, flat
there is NO
Where? Where? the size of when
pattern
LAYERS or
Beneath earth’s On earth’s surface sediment minerals BANDS.
surface (magma) (lava)
dissolved in
EXAMPLE: water EXAMPLE: H EXAMPLE:
Speed of Speed of
shale, crystalize coal,
formation? formation?
sandstone, limestone* EXAMPLE: Marble,
FAST conglomerate, EXAMPLE: slate, gneiss quartzite
SLOW
breccia halite,
Grain size? Grain size? limestone*

C COARSE FINE

Possibility of
being OTHER IMPORTANT VOCABULARY WORDS:
EXAMPLE:
PORPHYRITIC,
Basalt
which means the EROSION: OCCURS WHEN RUNNING __Water____ OR WIND LOOSEN &
rock cools in CARRY AWAY FRAGMENTS OF ROCK.
rhyolite
_TWO___ stages.
DEPOSITION: THE PROCESS BY WHICH __sediment___ SETTLES in a new location.
These rocks have
_large &
STRATA: A horizontal layer of material, especially one of several parallel layers
__small__
arranged one on top of another, created by the deposition of sediments.
crystals(grains)
COMPACTION: THE PROCESS THAT PRESSES SEDIMENTS TOGETHER.
EXAMPLE:
CEMENTATION: THE PROCESS IN WHICH DISSOLVED MINERALS CRYSTALLIZE AND
Pegmatite, granite
___glue____ PARTICLES OF SEDIMENT TOGETHER.
porphry
 THE ROCK CYCLE
The Rock Cycle is a series of __processes______ that build, destroy, and change
the rocks in & on the Earth’s crust and in the mantle.

WHAT TYPE OF ROCK CAN CHANGE IN THE ROCK CYCLE? ____ALL________

 __Igneous_____ can change into Sedimentary rock or Metamorphic rock.
 _Sedimentary__ can change into Metamorphic rock or Igneous rock.
 ___Metamorphic____ can change into Igneous rock or Sedimentary rock.

1. How does sediment become a sedimentary rock? _________________________________________________________

2. How does a metamorphic rock become an igneous rock? __________________________________________________

3. Describe two ways in which an igneous rock can become a metamorphic rock.

WAY 1: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

WAY 2: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

4. How does magma become sediment? ___________________________________________________________________

5. What happens when an igneous rock is exposed to heat and pressure? ________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How does an igneous rock become a sedimentary rock? ____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________