Chapter 1: Rocks and Minerals
Study Guide
Mineral
Properties of a mineral
• Nonliving solid material
that has a definite chemical
makeup
Luster: the way a mineral shines, or
•Found in the Earth’s
outermost layer- the crust
• nonmetallic (does not look like metal)
•You use minerals every
day!
•Windows, wires,
sunscreen, toothpaste,
and lots more
Mohs Hardness
Scale
• Is a list showing how hard
minerals are
•Listed in order from softest to
hardest
reflects light.
•Metallic (looks like metal)
•shiny and dull
Streak: color of a mineral when it is ground
into a powder. This is done by scrapping it
across a ceramic tile.
Hardness: How easily a mineral is
scratched. This can be done using a
fingernail, penny, or nail. You could also check
the hardness on the Mohs Hardness Scale.
Cleavage: When a mineral breaks on a flat
surface.
•Listed using numbers 1-10
Color: The color of a rock when you look at
it.
I am a
GEOLOGIST
Rocks
•Rocks are solid material made
up of one or more minerals
I am a scientist who
studies rocks
Three Types of Rocks
Igneous Rocks
•Form when melted rock cools and
hardens
•Minerals in the rocks form crystals
•Some igneous rocks formed by
volcanoes
•Obsidian, basalt, and granite are
types of igneous rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
The Rock Cycle
•Shows the process that can change
rocks
•A rock can change from one type of
rock to another
•Form when sand, bits of rocks, soil,
and once living things are pressed
together and harden.
•These materials are called sediments
•Sandstone and Limestone are types
of sedimentary rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
•Rocks changed by heat and pressure
from below the Earth’s surface.
•Gniess is formed from granite (an
igneous rock) that has undergone
heat and pressure.
Weathering
The breaking down of rocks
into smaller pieces called
sediment