Rocks and Minerals Study Guide
Vocabulary
Bedrock
solid rock underneath the earth’s
surface
Conglomerate
sedimentary rock made from pebbles
set in finer material
Erosion
process that wind, water and ice break
down rocks on the Earth’s surface
Fossil
a bone, shell or plant that has turned
into a rock
Geologist
someone who studies the structure of
Earth
Igneous
a rock formed from molten rock
(magma)
Lava
hot liquid rock that reaches the Earth’s
surface
Metamorphic
a changed rock as a result of extreme
heat and pressure
Mineral
any pure natural substance found in
rocks.
Rock
naturally occurring solid made up of 2
or more minerals
Sedimentary
a rock formed from compressed
sediments
Soil
particles of rock and minerals mixed
with organic material (dead plants and
animal parts)
What are properties of a rock or mineral?
Crystals
A mineral may form block or pyramid
shapes. The slower a rock cools the
larger the crystals. Crystals are most
often found in metamorphic rocks.
Cleavage
How a rock or mineral breaks. If a
rock or mineral breaks with a regular
pattern or shape is has cleavage. If it
does nothave a regular pattern or
shape (it crumbles) then it has no
cleavage.
Colour
Rocks and minerals have unique colours
based on what mineral or minerals they
are made up of. Colour is main
property to identify minerals.
Streak
The colour of a the fine powder left
behind when a rock or mineral is
rubbed against streak plate. Streak
tests are used for minerals only.
Texture
How we can describe the surface of a
rock or mineral. A ​
coarse or medium
texture​
is when you can see the
minerals without using a magnifying
glass. A ​
fine texture​
can show
minerals using a magnifying glass. A
very fine texture​
is when you cannot
see minerals, even with a magnifying
glass.
Acid test
S​
ome rocks and minerals have a
chemical reaction to acids. This fizzing
only happens when calcium carbonate is
found in the rock or mineral. Limestone
is an example of a rock that reacts to
acid.
Lustre
How a rock or mineral reflects light.
Rocks or minerals could have metallic,
dull, shiny, glassy, silky, oily, or earthy
lustre. Lustre is best seen by shining a
light on a sample.
Hardness
How resistant a rock or mineral is to
scratching.
A rock or mineral can be very soft
(scratched with a fingernail, penny, nail
and sandpaper), soft (scratched with a
penny, nail and sandpaper), Medium
(scratched by a nail and sandpaper) or
hard (scratched by sandpaper only).
Why are properties of a rock or mineral important?
Geologists use these properties to discover what rocks or minerals they have
found. Each rock or mineral has unique properties that help to identify it. Two
rocks may look exactly the same but have other different properties. Properties
help to tell rocks and minerals apart.
Rock Cycle
The main idea of the rock cycle is that rocks are continually changing from one
type of rock to another and back again. The forces inside the earth (heat,
pressure, melting) and on the earth’s surface (weathering, erosion and compacting)
create or destroy rocks. Rocks are being recycled.
Know this diagram and how the rock cycle works.
What is soil? How is it created?
Soil is made up of weathered (broken down) rocks that have mixed with water and
plant life. Soil can be full of pebbles, sand and clay - depending on how small the
rock pieces have broken down.
Common Uses of rocks in classroom & community
Rocks and minerals are very important to our work and our lives. Rocks are used
every single day in things like our buildings, roads, foods, machines, technology and
tools. Metals are made from minerals: like copper wires, steel frame and aluminum
foil. Concrete for buildings, schools, roads and sidewalks are made of rocks.
Jewelry is made polished and cut minerals. Even glass is made from fine sand
(rock) pieces.
Use this chart of common uses of rocks and minerals and be able to think of
several uses of rocks today and in the past
Websites to look at for extra information about rocks and minerals
1. Interactive Rock Cycle.
http://www.learner.org/interactives/rockcycle/index.html
2. Three Types of Rocks.
http://www.e-learningforkids.org/science/lesson/rock-formation/
3. Youtube Videos about Rocks & Minerals
a. Bill Nye: ​
https://vimeo.com/117845069
b. Rocks and Minerals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f9wrB5-yEY
c. Rock Odyssey: Rocks & Minerals Revue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8BUc4zEUyw
4. Minerals In Your House.
http://www.mineralogy4kids.org/minerals-your-house
TYPES OF ROCKS
Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
There are three types of
these on the earth
This type is formed on the
surface of the earth by
layers of sediment
pressing together
This type is formed by
melted rock that has
cooled and solidified.
This type transforms
rocks into new kinds using
extreme heat and
pressure
These can begin as one
type and change many
times to other types
These rocks are formed
where ocean, lakes or
other bodies of water
once existed
These rocks are formed
by the magma in volcanoes
cooling inside the earth
These rocks are formed
deep within the earth
These can be broken down
by weathering and moved
by erosion
These rocks are layered
and soft looking and can
contain fossils
These rocks are often
shiny or glossy
These rocks are hard and
often contain crystals
These can be found all
around us and are
collected by many people.
They are made up of 2 or
more minerals
Shale, sandstone, and
limestone are examples of
this type of rock
Obsidian, granite and
basalt are examples of
this type of rock
Slate, marble and gneiss
are examples of this type
of rock
@c3<s
@trT imerals
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VocabularV
solid rock underneoth the eorth's
surfoce
Conglomerote
sedimentsry rock mode from pebbles
set in finer materiol
process that wind, woten ond ice breok
down rocks on the Earth's surfoce
FossiN
o bone, shell or plant thot hos turned
into o rock
6edogisf
someone who studies the structure of
Eorth
o rock forrned fronn molten rock
(mogmo)
hot liguid rock thot resches the Eorth's
surface
f,tetamorphfc
q chonged rock os c result
heot ond pressure
of extreme
ony pure nqturol substonce found in
rocks.
noturolly occurring solid mode up of
or more minerols
Sedimentory
2
s rock forrned from compressed
sediments
porticles of rock ond minerols mixed
with organic moteriol (deod plonts ond
onimol parts)
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Common Use of Roelcs and Minerals
ln the Past
Today
rcof, til'es (t*ra.cotaneans
for shelten
wesponr.i (to get food, protection from
ceve$
balccd cafth)
galden ftepping rtones
sidewalk (cement is made fron limestone)
decorative psper weights/ bookends
jcwelry
pencil (graphite mineral)
boat enchonr
enemies)
strike stones to stert a firc
flat stonc$ for peper
ancient Egrptian tonbs for rulens
calcutri stones to edd snd subtract
(Greeks)
Dun disX
yedl
3
stone hammeri$ and are$
landscape
i
birdbeth
grinding oolt
book sbclves
dems
nnrrsicsl natttre (stones inside e gourd)
pioneer writing tebleU slatc
fireptrrrces
millstoue (grind grain into flour)
cabtles
grevcstopc$
steps
stone walls to mark pnopcrty boundarieo
rcck Eoads (Ronnene)
decoration
bertecue pits
o
bridgcs
o
Egrptirn pyranids
s[ypettqy
ddlt bit (dimond)
porcclein (fddspsr)
Ilowcr potu ,,
:
o c,hnlkboald (sletc)
o table sdt
o coeU oiU othcr fuds
G copper ooating on wircs
o coins
,o elunninuhr pots
G iron end DtGeI prcduct$ (tools)
G ydlow psint (chromiun color)
o
nsitr
G
minenale)
send on the beach
file (sudace is comndum & otfrer
,
very hard
hard
9- 10
7-8
pedium
5-6
soft
3-4
Yery soft
l-2
wiII scratch a niece of elass
qan be scrstched by hardest minerals
(conudum and diamond) tlr sB
(cantt be scrateled by a fingenrail, perury
or nail)
can be scrritc,hed by a nai[, (cantt be
scratched by a frnsemail or nennv)
can be scrate,hed by a
but not a
llardness
Mineral
10
-Diapstrd
Corundum
Topaz
9
I
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
shiny
metallic
glassy
Quatfr
OrthoeJase feldspar
,
Apatite
Fluorite
Calcite
Gypsum
Talc
-tttt"tr*, h-rtr --Iike polished metal
Iike a broken edge of glass
like shine of silken fabrics
greasy or oity
dull
earthy
naturalo like soil, trike hard r[*q,
t':l
,
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