U1 Rocks and Minerals SG

U1 TEST Study guide: Rocks and Minerals

Granite

A rock composed of a combination of different minerals visible as individual black, grey, and white grains.

Hardness

A mineral characteristic describing its resistance to fractures or scratches.

Streak

The color a mineral leaves behind after being dragged across an unweathered surface or porcelain plate

Luster

A description of the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock, or mineral.

Cleavage

The tendency of minerals to break along specific planes.

Fracture

The separation of a material into two or more pieces under the action of stress.

Banded Gneiss

A metamorphic rock formed due to intense heat and pressure that displays visible bands where different layers of rock were pressed together.

Fossil

The mineralized remains of plants or animals.

Sedimentary Rock

soft rock, breaks into pieces that show layers, layers that contain sand, pebbles, and fossils

Igneous Rock

shiny surface, smooth surface, has holes that may be caused by trapped gas bubbles

Metamorphic Rock

straight or wavy layers, shiny may be due to crystals

Rock Strata

Layers of rock with characteristics that are distinct from the surrounding layers.

Diamond

A mineral composed only of the element carbon, listed as the hardest mineral on Mohs' Scale of Hardness.

rock

A natural solid material made up of one or more minerals or mineraloids, forming a part of the Earth's crust.

mineral

A naturally occurring inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition and crystal structure. that is the same throughout

obsidian

A volcanic glass formed by the rapid cooling of molten lava, characterized by its smooth texture and lack of crystal structure.

sandstone

A sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized grains, typically made of quartz or feldspar, often formed in layers.

rock cycle

The continuous process of how rocks are formed, altered, and reformed through geological processes such as weathering, erosion, and metamorphism.

to form sedimentary rock

igneous and metamorphic rocks undergo weathering and erosion to break down into smaller particles, which then accumulate, compact, and cement over time.

to form igneous

rock through the cooling and solidification of molten material, known as magma or lava, either beneath the Earth's surface or at its volcanic exterior.

how metamorphic formed

rock is formed from existing rocks undergoing heat and pressure deep in Earths crust, leading to changes in mineral composition and texture.

true minerals

cannot be man made