Scientific Method
All factors of an experiment that remain the same throughout
What is a constant? or What are constants?
A crystalline solid that is naturally occurring, inorganic, and has a definite chemical composition.
What is a mineral?
A poor way to identify a mineral, but still important
(i.e what is looks like)
What is color?
Rocks are classified based on this...
What is how they are formed?
The changing of any rock into any other kind of rock
The question you are trying to answer, which leads you to carry out an experiment
What is a problem?
When a mineral displays a rough surface, after a breakage
What is a fracture?
How the mineral reflects light
What is it's luster?
These rocks are formed from cooling lava or magma
(The two types are: Intrusive and Exclusive)
What are Igneous Rocks?
The speed the rock cycle travels at
What is very slow?
An educated guess for the possible results of an experiment
(Hint: Always written as an if/then statement)
What is a hypothesis?
When a mineral displays a smooth surface, after a breakage
What is cleavage?
The color of the powder scraped off a mineral when it is rubbed on a hard, rough surface
What is a streak?
(The two types are: Foliated & Non-Foliated)
What are metamorphic rocks?
The intermittent stage a rock will become after melting, but before cooling (or solidifying)
What is magma? or What is lava?
The variable you initially change in the experiment (what you are testing)
What is an independent variable?
Rare minerals that can be cut and polished (used for jewelry)
What is a gem?
The ability of a mineral to resist being scratched
What is hardness?
The types of rocks that form from pieces of other rocks, dissolved minerals, or plant and animal matter
(The types are: Detrital, Chemical, and Inorganic)
What are sedimentary rocks?
The processes any rock will experience to become metamorphic
What is heat and pressure? or What is metamorphism?
The factor that you measure as a result of the initial change within an experiment is called this
What is a dependent variable?
A mineral that contains enough of a useful substance to be sold for profit
What is an ore?
Comparing of the density of minerals to the density of equal volumes of water
What is specific gravity?
What are detrital sedimentary rocks?
After any type of rock experiences weathering or erosion, it breaks down into this intermittent stage
What are sediments?