Lets Rock

Name: __________________________
There are many different kinds of rocks. When scientists find a rock
and they are not sure what it is, they do different tests on the rock to
discover its characteristic in order to classify and identify it. In this
activity, you will perform some of the same tests on rock samples.
Materials:

Safety glasses
Egg Carton (or something to hold the
rock samples)
7 rock samples
masking tape
small hammer
magnifying glass

unglazed porcelain tile

nail
penny
glass marble
white vinegar
hand towel
lab report sheet

Page 1

Tests:

For each test, complete the chart below.

Break Test:
Wrap a towel around your sample and place on a hard surface. Hit the
sample a few times with a hammer to break up the sample. Open up the
towel.
Observe what the sample looks like.
Did it break in a smooth or jagged way?
How hard was it to break the sample?
Appearance Test:
Study the rock with a magnifying glass. Look at the broken surface to
see if it is smooth/rough, shiny/dull?
Does it look like it is made of one type of material or more than one/
What color is it? Is it made of crystals?
Streak Test:
Try to draw a line on a piece of unglazed porcelain with each kind of
rock. Which rocks make a streak? What does the streak look like?
Hardness Test:
Use the tests on the hardness scale to determine how hard each rock
sample is. The higher the number, the harder the rock. Record the
hardness number for each rock sample on the chart.
HARDNESS SCALE
o
o
o
o
o
o

Can
Can
Can
Can
Can
Can

be scratched with a fingernail (1pt)

be scratched with a penny (2pts)
scratch a penny (3pts)
scratch a glass marble (4pts)
be scratched with an iron nail (5pts)
scratch an iron nail (6 pts)

Acid Test:
Put one or two pieces of each rock sample into the empty
compartment of the egg carton opposite each sample. Pour a little
vinegar, a weak acid, over the rock.
Observe the rock closely. If you see bubbles, the rock probably
contains a substance called calcite. A very common and widespread
mineral with highly variable forms and colors. Calcite reacts with acid
to produce bubbles of carbon dioxide gas.

Sampl
e
1
Break
Test

Appearan

Sampl
e
2

Sampl
e
3

Sampl
e
4

Sampl
e
5

Sample
6

ce Test

Streak
Test
Hardness
Test
Acid Test

Compare the information in the chart that you have written about each
type of rock.
State at least three (3) observations.
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