ROCKS & MINERALS TEST REVIEW SHEET
name:
A mineral is… a natural formed, inorganic solid that has a
definite crystalline structure
The SEVEN properties/ characteristics used to identify
minerals are (briefly describe each):
To be a mineral, a substance must be:
1. Color Test – The way a mineral shows its colors tells us a
lot about the mineral
1. naturally formed (not made in a lab)
2. inorganic (not alive)
3. has a definite crystal structure
EXAMPLES of minerals:
Quartz, feldspar, mica, copper, calcite, diamond, topaz
2. Luster Test - The way a mineral reflects light. Minerals
can be metallic, submetallic, or nonmetallic
3. Streak Test – Streak is the powder left behind from a
mineral when you rub the mineral on a streak plate. Some
minerals leave a streak and others do not. Also some of
the colors are different.
4. Cleavage versus structure – Cleavage is when a mineral
breaks in clean lines, fracture is when a mineral breaks in
jagged lines
5. Hardness – The hardness of a mineral ranges from 1-10.
We use the Mohs hardness scale. 1 is a soft mineral like
talc, 10 is a hard mineral like diamond
6. Density – Density is whether or not the mineral will float
in water
7. Special Properties – Some minerals will react differently
in water. (Chemical reaction). Other minerals will be like a
magnet.
A ROCK is a natural occurring solid
mixture of one or more minerals and
organic matter.
Igneous:
S
Created from __Magma_ (below
the surface) or Lava (above the
surface)
Sedimentary:
Created through the processes of erosion
and deposition. Then compaction of
sediments form Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic:
Created when exposed to
extreme heat & Pressure.
Characterized by grain
____texture
Clastic
Extrusive:
Where formed?
A Above the
Earth’s surface
Forms when
rock or
mineral
fragments,
called clasts,
are cemented
together.
Intrusive:
Where
formed?
BeBeneath the
Earth’s
surface
Speed of
formation?
Quickly
Organic:
Chemical:
Formed
when
minerals
crystallize
out of a
solution
(Usually
water reacts
with a rock.
E Example:
Shale,
Sandstone
Examples
Halite
e diagram b
Speed of
formation?
Slow
Grain size?
Coarse Grained
- large
Form from the
remains of
animals and
plants
Examples:
Limestone,
coal
Characterized by grain
size and texture.
Foliated:
NONfoliated:
When the
grains of
the rock
are
aligned in
bands or
planes
When the
grains of the
rock are not
aligned in
straight
lines.
Example:
Schist,
slate
gneiss
Examples:
Marble,
Quartzite
Grain size?
Small
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
1. How does sediment become a sedimentary rock? Compactions and cementation
2. How does a metamorphic rock become an igneous rock? A metamorphic rock would have top end up back in a volcano
or be exposed to extreme heat causing it to melt and then re-harden
3. Describe two ways in which an igneous rock can become a metamorphic rock.
WAY 1: ___Heat (pushed deep underground)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
WAY 2: _Pressure - (Compressed deep underground)
4. How does magma become sediment? When magma cools, it often comes out of a volcano or out of a fault. It is not
always the size of a rock. So it becomes sediment. The sediment is then compressed or compacted to make a
sedimentary rock.
5. What happens when an igneous rock is exposed to heat and pressure? _____The igneous rock will change into a
metamorphic rock. The heat and pressure changes the quality of the rock.
6. The processes of Weathering and Erosion create what? Sediments. Sediments can then create sedimentary
rocks.
7. How does an igneous rock become a sedimentary rock? ____When an igneous rock, breaks into sediments, it
can then compact and cement together forming a sedimentary rock.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
8. When a rock is exposed to heat and pressure, what type of rock is formed? Metamorphic.