Rocks and Minerals Notes

Rocks vs. Minerals

• A ________________ is a ________________ occurring, ________________, solid
physical substance. They may be an ________________ or a ________________
compound.
• A rock is a naturally formed ________________ object composed of ________________
or more minerals found in the Earth’s crust.

Mineral Properties
• Minerals have diagnostic properties that we can use to identify an unknown mineral.
These include:
• ________________
• ________________
• ________________
• ________________
• Cleavage
• Fracture
• Specific Gravity
• Crystal Form
• Reaction to HCl
• Taste
Color
• Color can be helpful in determining what ________________ you have but it is not the
determining factor
• Color may indicate the ________________ ________________ of a ________________

Luster
• Luster refers to how ________________ or ________________ a mineral is
• Minerals that have a ________________ appearance are ________________ (not
transparent)
• Nonmetallic minerals ________________ ________________ and do not appear to
________________ or be ________________

Streak
• Streak refers to the ________________ of a mineral in its ________________ form
• This is similar to a minerals color but differs in the way that it is determined
• Streak is found by ________________ a mineral sample on a piece of
________________ or ________________ ________________

Hardness
• Hardness refers to the minerals ________________ or ________________ to be
scratched
• Hardness is quantified on the ________________ ________________ on a 10-number
scale
The ________________ (1) is ________________
The ________________ (10) is ________________

Mineral Groups
• Minerals can be divided into subgroups based on their chemical composition
• The groups are:
Native ________________ – a single ________________ ________________
Sulfides – S or S2
________________ – O or O2
Halides – F, F2, Cl, and Cl2
________________ – CO3
Sulfates – SO4
________________ – PO4
Silicates – Si and O ________________

Types of Rocks
• There are three types of rocks that we classify:
________________
________________
________________
 • They are all related and can be connected using the ________________
________________
• Within these three types of rocks, we can further break them down into smaller
categories of rocks with ________________ ________________.

Igneous Rocks
• Igneous rocks can be formed from ________________, ________________, or other
igneous rocks
• Rocks that are pushed under the Earth’s surface are melted into ________________
when ________________ to high ________________

Textures of Igneous Rocks

• ________________ igneous rocks – these occur when magma ________________ to
the surface due to volcanic processes and ________________ to form
________________, extrusive rocks
• Examples: ________________, Basalt, Obsidian, Pumice, Rhyolite
• ________________ igneous rocks – magma is ________________ within the Earth over
a long period of ________________ to form ________________ -grained textures
• Examples: Diabase, ________________, Gabbro, Granite, Pegmatite, Peridotite
• ________________ – very large crystal structure (> 2 or 3 cm)
• Phaneritic – composed of ________________ large enough to see with the eye but
smaller than a ________________ texture
• ________________ – fine grained texture but the crystals are too small to see
• Porphyritic – texture composed of crystals of two different sizes
• ________________ – looks like ________________, if any solid crystals are present,
they are visible
• Vesicular – formed when ________________ ________________ before gases are able
to escape
• Pyroclastic – composed of ________________ fragments
Sedimentary Rocks
• ________________ rocks can be formed when rocks ________________ at the Earth’s
surface experience ________________ and ________________.
• They are collected and ________________ /________________ over time to create a
________________ rock. This process is called ________________.

Formation of Sedimentary Rocks

• ________________ – formed from fragments of other rocks
• Example: Breccia, Conglomerate, Sandstone, Siltstone, and Shale
• ________________ – formed from chemical reactions that results in a precipitate from
a solution
• Example: Chert, Flint, Iron Ore, Limestones, and Rock Salt
• ________________ /________________ – formed from the remains of plants or
animals
• Example: Chalk, Coal, and Diatomite
Metamorphic Rocks
• Metamorphic rocks are ________________ or ________________ rocks that have
________________ into another kind of rock.
• ________________ ________________ and levels of ________________ change
preexisting rocks ________________ and/or ________________, this produces a
different species of rock.

Types of Metamorphic Rocks

• ________________ – these types have a layered or banded appearance that is
produced by exposed to heat and direct pressure.
• Example: Gneiss, Phyllite, Schist, and Slate
• ________________ -________________ – these types do not have a layered or banded
appearance.
• Example: Hornfels, Marble, Novaculite, Quartzite, and Skarn

Let’s Practice
Identify the following based on given characteristics:
1. Igneous Rock
1. Texture: Pegmatitic, Composition: Felsic
Name: __________________________________________
2. Metamorphic Rock (Parent Rock and Rock Name)
1. Texture: Non-foliated, Composition: Quartz
Name: __________________________________________
3. Sedimentary Rock
1. Texture: Chemical, Composition: Silica (quartz)
Name: __________________________________________
In Class Activity
Rocks Minerals
Exit Ticket
Please answer the following questions:
1. What is something you already knew about rocks and/or minerals?
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2. What is something you learned about rocks and minerals?

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3. What is something you still want to know about rocks and minerals?
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