ROCKS AND MINERALS STUDY GUIDE
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VOCABULARY:
Igneous
Rock formed from cooled magma or lava.
Sedimentary
Rock formed when sediments were pressed and
cemented together
Metamorphic
Rock that formed when another kind of rock was
squeezed and heated deep inside earth’s crust
Rock Cycle
Process of rocks changing into other kinds of rock
Property
A characteristic of a substance
Core
The center of the earth, made of solid metals
Mantle
Earth layer below the crust, made of melted rock
Crust
Earth’s outer layer, made of solid rock
LAYERS OF THE EARTH
CRUST
MANTLE
OUTERCORE
INNER CORE
CHARACTERISTICS OF ROCKS
Rocks are: made of minerals, solid, natural earth materials.
 Metamorphic: hard, may have layers of wavy bands, crystals, or be
easily split in layers.
Ex: marble, slate
 Sedimentary: made from layers of sand, mud, or clay, easily
scratched; often contain fossils, fine/grainy texture.
Ex: sandstone, conglomerate
 Igneous: coarse-grained, glossy, and/or crystalline. May have air
holes and be light enough to float in water. Some are dark and shiny
like glass.
Ex: granite, pumice
ROCK CYCLE
MINERAL FACTS
 Rocks are made of minerals.
 A diamond is the hardest mineral.
 Talc is the softest mineral.
 Some minerals are made into jewelry.
 Some minerals can scratch a penny or glass.
 Minerals can be identified by
1. Color
2. Luster
3. Hardness
4. Streak
5. Cleavage/Fracture
CAUSES OF EROSION
 Wind—chipping
 Water—dissolving
 Ice—cracking
 Animals walking on rocks