Rocks vs. Minerals vs. Soil
What Earth material is defined as a pure, naturally occurring inorganic substance with a specific chemical composition (the "building block")?
What is a mineral?
When evaluating a mineral data table for a specific job, what strategy should you use instead of looking at just one property?
What is the Two-Check Rule / Method (underlining dual requirements and checking both)?
True or False: If a soil sample contains organic matter, it means there is no weathered rock in it.
What is False (soil is ALWAYS a mixture of BOTH weathered rock and organic matter)?
Which main type of rock forms from the cooling and hardening of magma or lava?
What is igneous rock?
Why is graphite used in pencils instead of quartz?
What is graphite is very soft (hardness 1–2) and leaves a dark streak on paper?
What Earth material is made of a mixture of one or more minerals bonded together?
What is a rock?
If two different minerals meet all performance requirements for a project, which one should an engineer select to protect limited resources?
What is the locally abundant material?
What type of soil particle size allows water to drain through very quickly?
What are large particles (like sand or gravel)?
Which rock type forms from sediments being compacted and cemented together, and often contains visible fossils?
What is sedimentary rock?
What physical property of copper and gold makes them essential for cell phone and computer circuit boards?
What is electrical conductivity?
Name the four components that make up soil.
What are weathered rock particles, minerals, organic matter (decayed life), air, and water?
Sample A has high hardness but absorbs lots of water. Sample B has high hardness and low water absorption. Which sample is best for an outdoor floor tile?
What is Sample B?
What role does organic material (decayed plants and animals) play in soil?
What is it holds nutrients and improves water retention for plant growth?
What two forces deep underground transform existing rocks into metamorphic rocks?
What are intense heat and pressure?
Why are rocks like granite and slate chosen for kitchen countertops and roofing tiles?
What is their high hardness, durability, and water resistance?
How can you tell the visual difference between a pure mineral sample and a rock sample under a hand lens?
What is a mineral is uniform/pure throughout, while a rock shows distinct mixed grains or flecks?
Why is checking only the first column of a data table a mistake when picking a material?
What is because a material might meet the first requirement but fail a second critical requirement in another column?
If you need to build a drainage system where water flows away fast, would you choose soil with large particles or small particles?
What are large particles?
What visual clue distinguishes metamorphic rocks with foliation from sedimentary rocks with layers?
What are wavy mineral bands (or flattened crystals) in metamorphic rock vs. straight sediment layers in sedimentary rock?
What mineral with a hardness of 7 and transparent/optical properties is used to make glass and computer chips?
What is quartz?
Classify these three items in exact order: Granite, Pure Quartz Crystal, Rich Garden Compost Soil.
What are Rock (Granite), Mineral (Quartz), and Soil (Compost)?
What two factors must be included in your written CER justification when selecting a material from a data table?
What are evidence that it meets BOTH physical requirements AND its resource abundance?
Write out the complete basic "formula" for soil composition.
What is Soil = Weathered Rock Particles + Organic Matter (+ Air/Water)?
Name two observable physical clues that tell you a rock is igneous.
What are a glassy texture, air holes/gas pockets, or interlocking mineral crystals?
Match these three products to their Earth material: Toothpaste, Drywall, and Seasoning.
What are Fluorite (toothpaste), Gypsum (drywall), and Halite/Salt (seasoning)?