Name ___________________________________ Date ________________ Period ______
Rocks and Minerals Web Quest
Go to the following website and determine the everyday/industrial uses of the following
minerals
http://geology.com/minerals/
Mineral
Color
Luster
Everyday/Industrial Uses
Talc
Chromite
Copper
Quartz
Graphite
Kyanite
Sulfur
Flourite
Wollastonite
Go to the following website . Follow the instructions and fill in the blanks below.
http://www.minsocam.org/MSA/K12/rkcycle/rkcycleindex.html
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Rocks are the most common material on Earth. They are naturally occurring
__________________ of one or more ___________________.
o Rock divisions occur in three major families based on how they formed:
________________________, _____________________________,
________________________________. Each group contains a collection of rock
types that differ from each other on the basis of the size, shape, and
arrangement of __________________________________
______________________________.
o The rock cycle is an illustration that is used to explain how the three rock
types are related to each other and how _________________ __________________
change a rock from one type to another through geologic time.
______________________ ________________________ movement is responsible for
the recycling of rock materials and is the driving force of the rock cycle.
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Igneous Rocks
o There are places on Earth that are so hot that rocks melt to form
_________________. Because magma is liquid and usually _________
_______________ than surrounding solid rock, it moves upward to cooler regions
of the Earth. As the magma loses heat, it cools and crystallizes into an igneous
rock. Magma can cool on the Earth's surface, where it has erupted from a
_______________________ (extrusive rock) or under the Earth's surface, where it
has intruded older rocks (intrusive rock).
o The composition of magma is limited to the __________________ common
elements of the earth's crust. These elements combine within a melt to form
_____________________ minerals, the most common minerals of igneous rocks.
These silicate minerals include ________________________ (plagioclase feldspar,
potassium feldspar), _____________________, micas (muscovite, biotite),
pyroxenes (augite), amphiboles (hornblende), and _______________________. These
minerals make up over ____________ of the volume of the common igneous
rocks, making igneous rocks easy to identify.
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Extrusive igneous rocks form when magma reaches the Earth's surface a
volcano and cools quickly. Most extrusive (volcanic) rocks have small
crystals. Examples include ______________________,
_____________________________, ___________________________.

Intrusive, or plutonic, igneous rocks form when magma cools slowly below
the Earth's surface. Most intrusive rocks have large, well-formed
crystals. Examples include _______________________,
____________________________, __________________________.
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Sedimentary Rock
o Any rock (igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) exposed at the Earth's
surface can become a _______________________________ rock. The forces of
wind, rain, snow, and ice combine to break down or ___________________
(weather), and carry away (transport) rocks exposed at the surface. These
particles eventually come to rest (_______________________) and become hard
rock (lithified).
o Sedimentary rocks tell us what the Earth's surface was like in the geologic past.
They can contain ____________________________ that tell us about the animals
and plants or show the ____________________ in an area. Sedimentary rocks are
also important because they may contain water for drinking or _________ and
__________ to run our cars and heat our homes.

Metamorphic Rock
o Any rock (igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) can become a
_________________________ rock. If rocks are buried deep in the Earth at high
___________________________ and pressures, they form new minerals and textures
all without melting. If melting occurs, ______________ is formed, starting the
rock cycle all over again.
o Geologists can learn the following about the Earth from the study of
metamorphic rocks:

the temperature and ______________________ conditions (metamorphic
environment) in which the rock was formed

the composition of the ______________________, or original
unmetamorphosed, rock.

aids in the interpretation of the __________________ _____________________
setting in which the metamorphism took place

aids in the reconstruction of the _______________________________ history
of an area.
o The term "metamorphic" means "to _______________ __________________."
Changes in the temperature and pressure conditions cause the minerals in the
rock to become unstable so they either reorient themselves into layers
(foliation) or ___________________________into larger crystals, all without
undergoing melting.
What Type of Rock do I Have?
Click on the link “What Type of Rock do I Have?” Follow the instructions and fill in the
blanks below.
How to tell an igneous rock from a sedimentary rock from a metamorphic rock?
Igneous rocks are recognized by:
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the interlocking texture of the grains
the presence of __________________________(holes) in extrusive igneous
rocks
may be dark-colored and heavy
may display _______________ grain sizes, one much larger than the
other
Sedimentary rocks are recognized by:
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grains ___________________________ together
the presence of ________________________
___________________-colored and light weight
may display interlocking grains but is very light weight
Metamorphic rocks are recognized by:
7. the interlocking texture of large grains
8. ___________________ (layering)
9. banded ___________ and ________ colors
10. "ching" sound instead of a "chunk" sound when tapped