YEAR 7 CHEMISTRY KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER: C1b Earth – Rocks and Ceramics

KEY WORDS KEY FACTS

Crust The rocky outer layer of the Earth.
1 Physical weathering happens because of temperature changes which cause
Mantle The layer of the Earth that is below the crust. It is solid but can flow very slowly. rocks to expand and contract. Freeze-thaw weathering is when water gets into
At the centre of the Earth, made up of the inner core and the outer core. cracks in a rock. When the water freezes it expands and breaks the rock apart.
Core
2 Chemical weathering – acids in rain react with substances in the rock.
Inner core The solid iron and nickel at the centre of the Earth. 3 Biological weathering – plants and animals break up rocks.
Outer core The liquid iron and nickel between the Earth’s mantle and the inner core.
Atmosphere The mixture of gases surrounding the Earth.
Troposphere The part of the atmosphere nearest to the Earth. STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH COMPOSITION OF THE
Pieces of rock that have broken off from their original rock. ATMOSPHERE
Sediment
Sedimentary Rock made from sediments being packed together.
rock
Igneous rock Rock made when liquid rock (magma or lava) cools and solidifies.
Metamorphic Rock formed by the action of heating and/or pressure on sedimentary or
rock igneous rock.
Porous A porous material has small gaps that may contain substances in their liquid or
gas states. Water can soak into a porous material.
Weathering Weathering breaks up all types of rock into smaller pieces called sediments.

Erosion He breaking of a rock into sediments, and their movement away from the
original rock.
Transport Movement of sediments away from their original rock. THE ROCK CYCLE
Deposition The settling of sediments that have moved away from their original rock.

Compaction The process of squashing sediments together to make new rocks by the weight
of the layers above.
Cementation The ‘gluing together’ of sediments by different chemicals to make sedimentary
rocks.
Magma Liquid rock that is below the Earth’s surface.
Lava Liquid rock that is above the Earth’s surface.
Rock Cycle The rock cycle describes the processes which transform one type of rock into
another over a period of time.
Uplift Happens when huge forces from inside the Earth push rocks upwards.
Ceramic A compound such as a metal silicate or oxide that is hard, strong and has a high
melting point.
YEAR 7 CHEMISTRY KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER: C1b Earth – Rocks and Ceramics
Key knowledge
The Earth and it’s atmosphere The Earth is made up four layers: crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. Scientists learn about its structure by studying shock waves from earthquakes. They also examine rocks on the
surface and under oceans, and materials that volcanoes bring to the surface. The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth. The part of the atmosphere nearest the Earth is the
troposphere. The most common substances in the Earth’s atmosphere, by volume, are first nitrogen (78%), then oxygen (21%), following by argon (1%) and carbon dioxide (0.04%).

Sedimentary rocks Sedimentary rocks are made up of separate grains. They are porous and have gaps between their grains. Air and water can get into these gaps. Weathering breaks up all types of rock into
smaller pieces called sediments. There are three types of weathering: physical, chemical and biological. The breaking of rock into sediments and their movement away, is called erosion.
Transport processes move sediments far from the original rock. Eventually, sediments stop moving, settling in one place: this is called deposition. Over many years deposited sediments join
together to make new rocks through compaction or cementation.

Igneous and metamorphic Igneous rock forms when liquid rock cools and freezes. They consist of crystals and are not porous. Igneous rocks are hard and also durable. These properties made them useful for pavements
and underneath railway tracks. Underground, liquid rock is called magma while on the surface, liquid rock is called lava. Metamorphic rocks form when heat, high pressure, or both change
rocks
existing rock, e.g. marble from limestone; slate from mudstone.

The rock cycle All the time, rocks are changing. Weathering breaks down rock. Sediments make new rock. Volcanoes erupt, and their lava freezes. And, deep within the crust, heating and high pressure
change rocks of all types. Different rock types, and the processes that change one rock type into another, are linked in the rock cycle. There are many routes around the rock cycle. Also, the
Earth’s crust moves constantly. When continents collide, huge forces from inside the Earth push rocks upwards, and mountains can form. This is called uplift.

KEY FACTS - Ceramics

1 All ceramics have similar physical properties: USES OF CERAMICS

• Hard – can only scratch them with harder materials.
• Brittle – they break easily.
• Stiff – they are difficult to bend.
• Solid at room temperature and have very high melting points.
• Strong when compressed (forces press on them).
• Break easily when stretched.
• Electrical insulators.

2 Ceramics have these properties because they are made of many atoms
joined together by strong bonds in a giant structure. They are hard and
strong with high melting points because it takes huge amounts of energy
to break the bonds which hold the atoms together.
3 Ceramics have similar chemical properties, they do not react with water,
acids or alkalis.
4 The properties of ceramics make them suitable for many different uses:
• Bricks – they are strong and unreactive.
• Electrical powerline insulators – do not conduct electricity.
• Jet engine turbine blades – have very high melting points.
• Plates, bowls, mugs – unreactive.