Rocks & Minerals Basics
What is a naturally occurring solid, abiotic, definite chemical composition?
Mineral
Process of rock melting into liquid form.
Melting
Moving weathered rock to a new location.
Erosion
What is the name of the scale used to measure how easily a mineral is scratched?
Mohs Hardness Scale
Solid material made of one or more minerals.
Rock
The process of sediments being pressed together and hardened.
Compaction and cementation
Depositing and layering sediments.
Sedimentation
What is the test for colour of the powdered mineral used for identification?
Streak
Rock type formed from cooling magma or lava.
Igneous
A rock that cools slowly underground and has larger crystals is called?
Intrusive igneous
What type of weather do ice, water, or temperature cause physical weathering.
Mechanical weathering
What is it called when you look at a mineral's reflective light
Luster
Rock type often containing fossils.
Sedimentary
Rock type is formed when any rock is changed by heat and pressure.
Metamorphic
Weathering caused by chemical reactions like acid rain.
Chemical weathering
What is it called when there is a smooth break along planes versus an uneven break?
Cleavage vs. Fracture
Mineral property is more reliable than colour for identification.
Streak
What part of the rock cycle describes where rock is broken down into smaller pieces.
Weathering
Weathering caused by living things, like roots breaking rock.
Biological weathering
Mineral scratches glass but not steel. Approximate Mohs hardness?
6