Earth and Life Science

ROCKS AND MINERALS

The Rock Cycle
Sedimentary
Rock
Weathering Heat and pressure.

Heat and pressure. Metamorphic

Igneous rock Melting Lava Rock

Types of Rocks
-Igneous rocks
- Sedimentary rocks
- Metamorphic rocks
Igneous- A rock formed by melted rock that has cooled and hardened.
Examples: basalt, obsidian, pumice, granite
Types: Intrusive, Extrusive, Plutonic
Sedimentary- A rock formed by layers of materials that have been squeezed and
hardened
Examples: shale, sandstone, conglomerate, limestone
Metamorphic- A rock that has changed by heat and pressure
Examples: slate, quartzite, marble, gneiss
MINERALS
Physical Properties of Minerals
Crystal Structure- orderly of the geometrical spatial arrangement of atoms
Crystal Habit- overall shape of the mineral
Hardness- mineral’s resistance to scratch
Color and Streak- color of the mineral: streak is the color of the minerals in powder
form.
Transparency and Lustre- A mineral is transparent if it allows the light to pass through
and you can see objects through. It is opaque if light cannot pass through and you
cannot see objects through it.
Lustre- indicates how light is reflected off a surface of a mineral. There are qualitative
terms to describe this property, such as metallic.
Cleavage- mineral’s resistance to being broken
Specific Gravity- mineral’s density