Minerals
What is the building block of rocks?
Minerals
Rocks with gaps or spaces between their grains are called this.
Porous
What type of rock forms when magma cools?
Igneous rock
These rocks are formed from the compression of sediments like sand, shells, and fossils.
sedimentary rocks
What is a fossil?
The remains or imprint of once-living things preserved in rock
True or False: All minerals have a crystalline structure.
True
Igneous and metamorphic rocks are usually this, because their crystals interlock.
Non-Porous
The process that breaks down rocks into sediments.
Weathering and erosion
These rocks usually form in layers and often contain fossils.
Sedimentary Rocks
What type of rock usually contains fossils?
Sedimentary rock
What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
A mineral is a pure substance with a crystalline structure; a rock is a mixture of one or more
These rocks often contain crystals that look “jumbled up” and point in all directions.
Igneous Rocks
Which process turns sediments into sedimentary rock?
Compaction and cementation
The size of the crystals in an igneous are based on what?
Whether they're formed above ground (small) or below ground (large).
What is the difference between a body fossil and a trace fossil?
Body = mineralised remains of organisms; Trace = imprints left behind
What physical properties can help you identify a mineral? (Name at least two)
color, streak, luster, hardness, cleavage/fracture, density, etc.
These rocks often contain crystals that are mostly aligned
Metamorphic Rocks
What process changes sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock?
Heat and pressure
Metamorphic rocks can show foliation. What does foliation mean?
Bands or layers caused by pressure
Put these in order: animal dies, buried in sediment, minerals replace remains.
1. Animal dies, 2. Buried in sediment, 3. Minerals replace remains
Granite is made of quartz, feldspar, and mica. Is granite a rock or mineral? Why?
Because it is a mixture of different minerals, not a pure substance
A rock that is strong and does not scratch easily is most likely this type.
Igenous or metamorphic
What happens if metamorphic rock melts?
It becomes magma, restarting the rock cycle
Why does foliation occur in metamorphic rocks?
Because the crystals are mostly aligned
Name one environment where organisms can be preserved but not fossilised.
Amber, ice, tar pits, bogs