Activity no.

Rocks
Group no.:______ Date: _______________

Group leader:

Members:

The composition of rocks reveals much about their origin. Rocks are solid materials made up
of one or more minerals. The characteristic of rocks are texture, structure, grain size,
mineralogy, and other features: colour, hardness/strength and specific gravity.

There are three basic types of rock: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.

Igneous rocks are volcanic and form from molten material. This rock is classified based on
where they are formed. Intrusive or plutonic igneous rocks are formed when magma cools
slowly beneath the surface. A common example of an intrusive igneous rock is granite.
Extrusive or volcanic igneous rocks, on the other hand, are formed when magma cools
rapidly above Earth’s surface. Examples of extrusive igneous rocks are basalt, obsidian and
pumice. The importance of igneous rocks is commonly used for building tombstone and
monuments, for medical instruments. Also used in construction and as an abrasive.

Sedimentary rocks are formed from fragments of previously existing rocks. The fragments
accumulate in low-lying areas—lakes, oceans, and deserts—and then are compressed back
into rock by the weight of overlying materials. Some common examples are sandstone,
shale, limestone, conglomerate, and coal. This rock are used as replacements for clay in
making bricks, in construction, considered a non-renewable solid fossil fuel, which is
processed to product oil, fuel, coal, and natural gas.

Metamorphic rocks come from previously existing rocks. Their compositions have been
changed by intense pressure, heat, or the chemical reaction of Earth’s substances. Some
examples of metamorphic rocks are marble, slate, and gneiss. This rock are commonly used
as a building material such as flooring, floor tiles, sculpting materials and ornamental stones