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Rocks and Minerals Study Guide
Minerals
1. What are the five characteristics a material must possess in order to be considered a
mineral?
a. Occurs naturally
b. solid
c. Definite chemical composition
d. Atoms in an orderly pattern
e. inorganic
2. What is a crystal and what determines the crystal shape?
Regular geometric solid with smooth surfaces. A crystal will be large if the magma cools
slower and has room to grow.
3. Can many different minerals form out of one magma mass? Yes.
4. Describe each of the characteristics observed/tested when identifying minerals. (How do
you observe that characteristic, how useful is it, and the definition)
a. Color: the color is appears to the naked eye, least useful property
b. Streak: the color of the powder of the mineral
c. Hardness: how much the mineral resists scratching from common objects
d. Luster: how the mineral reflect light
e. Cleavage/Fracture: cleavage is when the mineral breaks with flat sides while
fracture is irregular breakage
f. Special Properties: (examples) Acid test, magnetic, smell, taste, density
5. Name three minerals, their mineral group and their use in society.
a. Quartz-Silicate, used to make glass
b. Sulfur- native element, used in medicine and fertilizer
c.
Gypsum- sulfate, used in wall board
Rocks Cycle
1.
What is the difference between rocks and minerals? Minerals make up rocks, some rocks
are made of only one mineral.
2. Sketch below a diagram of the rock cycle. Include the rock types and the processes that
form each rock.
3. The rock cycle classifies rocks based on their origin.
4. What are the differences and similarities between magma and lava?
Magma is below the surface with lava is on Earth’s surface
5. What is cementation? Process by which minerals precipitate out of solution to fill space
between sand, pebbles, or other sediments, binding them together.
Igneous Rocks
1. List and describe the different types of magma. Felsic- thick, slow moving, with large
amounts of silica, cools to create light colored rocks. Mafic- thinner lava with iron and
magnesium, cool to create dark colors rocks.
2. How does igneous rock form? From the cooling and crystallization of magma or lava
3. How does the rate of cooling of molten rock affect the size of the crystals?
More cooling time allows for larger crystal sizes.
4. Magma that cools below ground is an intrusive igneous rock, while lava that cools above
ground is called an extrusive igneous rock.
5. Define the following words (all are features of igneous rock):
a. Pluton- any rock mass that forms when magma cools inside Earth.
b. Batholith- largest of all plutons
c. Sill- horizontal pluton
d. Dike- a pluton that cuts across the layers of rock
6. List three examples of an igneous rock. Granite, pumice, obsidian
Sedimentary Rocks
1. How are sedimentary rocks formed? Compacting and cementing of layers of sediments
2. Why can only sedimentary rocks have fossils? Because sedimentary rock is formed from
sediments cementing together where as igneous rock is from lava and metamorphic rock
undergoes heat and pressure.
3. Describe in a step-by-step process the formation of clastic sedimentary rock.
1. Movement and relocation of rock fragments
2. Sediments settle out of solution
3. Sediments become cemented when minerals fill the gaps between the sediments
4. How does a sedimentary rock form chemically?
When minerals precipitate or fall out of solution
5. What is an organic sedimentary rock? Rock that is made up of things that were once
living
6. Shale is composed of what type of sediment? Conglomerate? Sandstone?
Shale- mud/silt conglomerate- pebbles sandstone- sand
7. Which type of sedimentary rock (shale, sandstone, or conglomerate) will form in the
calmest water? Which type can form in the water with the most energy? Explain.
Calm water will create shales because calm water is required is allow mud to settle out of
the water. Conglomerates will form in water with the most energy because it is
composed of pebbles.
8. List the features that can be observed in sedimentary rocks. Fossils and stratification
Metamorphic Rock
1. What is a parent rock?
The pre-existing rock before it is morphed.
2. Describe the process of regional metamorphism. Use the words parent rock, pressure,
foliation, and heat.
When two plates converge at a plate boundary, pressure and heat causes the parent rock
to morph into a new rock. If enough pressure is applied, the minerals will flatten out and
give the rock the appearance of stripes, called foliation.
3. How does contact metamorphism differ from regional metamorphism?
Contact metamorphism will affect less rock and not create foliation while regional
metamorphism affects more rock and will create foliation.
4. If limestone is put under heat and pressure, what metamorphic rock will it create?
Marble
5. What orientation do the minerals have in some metamorphic rocks? What is this
characteristic of metamorphic rock called? Perpendicular to the direction of pressure;
foliation