The Earth's Layers
This sphere includes rocks, mountains, and the Earth’s solid part.
Geosphere
The way a mineral reflects light.
Lustre
Rocks formed from cooled lava or magma
Igneous rocks
Softest mineral on the Mohs scale
Talc
Remains or traces of ancient living things
Fossils
This is the outermost, thinnest layer of the Earth.
Crust
A measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched
Hardness
Rocks formed from compacted sediments
Sedimentary rocks
A very hard mineral that can scratch glass.
Quartz
A sedimentary rock made mainly from shells and calcium carbonate
Limestone
This layer is made of semi-molten rock and lies under the crust.
Mantle
The scale that ranks minerals from softest to hardest
Mohs Scale
Rocks changed by heat and pressure
Metamorphic rocks
Light-colored igneous rock with visible crystals
Granite
This black rock is formed from ancient plant matter
Coal
This is the hottest, innermost part of the Earth.
Core
The external shape of a mineral’s crystals.
Crystal Habit
These rocks may contain fossils
Sedimentary rocks
A metamorphic rock that comes from shale
Slate
A liquid fossil fuel used to make gasoline
Petroleum
These two “spheres” include water and gases around the Earth.
Hydrosphere and Atmosphere
The way a mineral breaks along flat planes
Cleavage
The process that transforms one rock type into another
Rock cycle
A banded metamorphic rock formed from granite
Gneiss
Energy sources formed from dead plants and animals.
Fossil Fuels