Podcast
Questions and Answers
What characteristic of a mineral is determined by observing the color it leaves behind?
What characteristic of a mineral is determined by observing the color it leaves behind?
What is the method of classifying crystal structures based on the angles where the sides intersect?
What is the method of classifying crystal structures based on the angles where the sides intersect?
Which type of rock is formed through the recycling of old rocks?
Which type of rock is formed through the recycling of old rocks?
What is the term for the study of rocks?
What is the term for the study of rocks?
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What is the approximate percentage of sedimentary rock in the Earth's crust as a whole?
What is the approximate percentage of sedimentary rock in the Earth's crust as a whole?
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What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes a mineral from a rock?
What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes a mineral from a rock?
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What is true about the composition of minerals?
What is true about the composition of minerals?
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What happens to magma when it cools and hardens?
What happens to magma when it cools and hardens?
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Why are diamonds considered minerals, not rocks?
Why are diamonds considered minerals, not rocks?
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How are minerals classified?
How are minerals classified?
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What is the primary difference between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks?
What is the primary difference between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks?
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What process transforms sedimentary rocks into metamorphic rocks?
What process transforms sedimentary rocks into metamorphic rocks?
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What is the primary difference between rocks and minerals?
What is the primary difference between rocks and minerals?
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What is an example of a clastic sedimentary rock?
What is an example of a clastic sedimentary rock?
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What is the process by which rocks are made or recycled?
What is the process by which rocks are made or recycled?
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Study Notes
Rocks vs Minerals
- Rocks are different from minerals, but both are solids and can be found in the earth's crust.
- A mineral is a naturally occurring substance with unique chemical and physical properties.
- Minerals are inorganic, multicolored, have a specific structure, and are defined by their chemical composition.
Mineral Definition
- A mineral is a solid with a crystalline internal structure that occurs naturally.
- Minerals can be made from multiple types of elements or just one.
- Minerals have a definite crystalline structure and can have nutritional value.
Classifying Minerals
- Minerals are classified by their chemical composition and crystalline structure.
- Other ways to characterize minerals include examining the color, density, hardness, streak, luster, and solubility.
- Geologists classify crystal structures by the number of sides, angles, cleavage, and fracture.
- There are three main types of crystalline structures: Body-Centered Cubic (BCC), Hexagonal Close-Packed (HCP), and Cubic Close-Packed (CCP).
Rock Definition
- A rock is a solid interconnected collective of one or more crystalline minerals.
- Rocks are usually made up of various types of mineral grains, held together in one solid form.
- The study of rocks is called petrology.
Classifying Rocks
- Rocks are classified based on how they are formed.
- There are three main rock classifications: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
- Igneous rocks are made from hot magma that cools to create rock.
- Sedimentary rocks are made over time by pressure from other rocks.
- Metamorphic rocks are made from other rocks through chemical reactions and heat.
Rock Cycle
- The rock cycle is the process in which all rock is made or recycled.
- Igneous rocks can become sedimentary rocks through weathering, sedimentation, and lithification.
- Sedimentary rocks can become metamorphic rocks through heat and pressure, deformation, and recrystallization.
- Metamorphic rocks can become igneous rocks through melting and crystallization.
Comparing Rocks and Minerals
- Rocks are not minerals, and minerals do not always make rocks.
- Most rocks are made of minerals, but some rocks have no minerals.
- Rocks can have fossils, but minerals do not.
- Rocks can have varied colors, while minerals have specific colors.
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Description
Learn about the key characteristics that distinguish rocks from minerals, including their composition, structure, and properties.
