Rock Cycle
A cool trip around the
rock cycle
What is a rock?

A rock is a mixture of such minerals, rock
fragments, volcanic glass, organic matter, or other
natural materials.
 Most rock used for building stone contains one or
more common minerals, called rock-forming
minerals, such as quartz, feldspar, mica, or calcite
• When you look closely, the sparkles you see are
individual crystals of minerals.
What is the difference between a
rock & a mineral?

Minerals are solid,
naturally occurring,
inorganic, have a
fixed composition
and are made of
one or more
elements.
 Rocks are made of
one or more
minerals.
Made of
elements
Must be
inorganic
Made only of
compounds
Elements must be
chemically bonded
Naturally
occurring
Solid
Can be made
from organic
materials
Can be made
of lava/
magma
Mixtures
made of
minerals
Have
crystals
Can be
Can be
formed from
solutions
man made
Rock Types

There are three
types of rocks
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
What is the rock cycle?

To show how rocks slowly change through
time, scientists have created a model called the
rock cycle.
 It illustrates the processes that create and
change rocks.
Rock Cycle Continued

The rock cycle shows the three types of
rock— igneous, metamorphic, and
sedimentary—and the processes that form
them.
Rock Cycle
explains
how Rocks and Natural Processes
are related
The
Sedimentary
weathering
Metamorphic
Igneous
What is the law of conservation
of matter?

Law of conservation of matter states that
matter cannot be created or destroyed.
• The changes that take place in the rock
cycle never destroy or create matter.
• The elements are just redistributed in other
forms.