Minerals and Rocks

from Let's Do Science 3 – Text Book B

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Amazing Fact!

Diamond is a mineral. It is the hardest natural substance on Earth. The only other thing that can scratch a diamond is another diamond! Minerals and Rocks Minerals are non-living substances that are formed naturally in the Earth. They are usually found underground, in rocks and soil. Minerals are also found underwater in rivers, lakes and the ocean. Minerals are made of chemicals. They do not come from the remains of living things. You are already familiar with many types of minerals. Metals, such as gold, silver, iron and copper are minerals. Quartz, salt and talc are minerals too. What Are Minerals? quartz ucation ces that are hat ar They are usually y are usuall and soil. Minera and soil. Mine r in rivers, lakes a in rivers, lakes f chemicals. The hemicals. The mains of living th s of living t y familiar with m miliar with m als, such as gold uch as go minerals. Quart erals. Quart oo. d quartzquar

Himalayan rock saltR Himalayan r Himala HimalayanroHimala

gold

What Are Rocks?

Rocks are naturally occurring non-living things found on and under the Earth’s surface. All rocks are made up of one or more minerals.

Rocks can be found all over the Earth’s surface. They can be found on mountains and hills, in fields and valleys and along rivers and streams. Rocks line our coastlines and can be found underwater too.

AB Activity 8.1 In what ways are rocks similar to each other? How can rocks be different? Amazing Fact! The largest single rock formation in the world is ca d Uluru in central Australia. The gigantic rock reaches a height of over 850 meters above ground and another 2.5 kilometers below ground!

Try This!

Rocks are made up of tiny mineral particles called grains. Rocks can have different properties such as color, texture and arrangement of the grains that form them. These rocks are different in color. These rocks are different in texture. Properties of Rocks These rocks are different in smooth pebbles rough rocks In small groups, go into your schoolyard and collect small rocks. Discuss the properties of the rocks. Classify the rocks in two different ways. al s a education particles ticles erent propertie nt propertie gement of the ent of t color co e rocks are diffe cks are diffe n color. color

These rocks have grains of different sizes. The grains in these rocks are arranged in different ways. education ed in n Activity 8.2AB What are some properties of the rocks in your schoolyard?Re R Activ Regega eg at are some pro the rocks in y

Go Online!

Learn about different types of rocks and how they form on the NGScience website. QuickCode: Q5F4 Scientists who study rocks, called geologists, often classify rocks by how they form. They can be classified into three main groups – igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks. Beneath the surface of the Earth, temperatures can be very hot. It can be so hot that rock exists in a liquid (molten) form, called magma. How Do Rocks Form? Beneath the surface of the Earth, temperatures can be very hot. It can be so hot that rock exists in a liquid (molten) form gma. tion eologists, ogists, orm. They can . They can oups – igneous igneo metamorphic tamorphic he Earth, tempe e Earth, temp be so hot that r o hot that r rm, called called mag Igneous Igneous rocks form when magma cools and rocks form when magma cools and orm when magm when mag returns to a solid state. returns to a solidd state. ate.

Granite forms when magma cools slowly beneath the Earth’s surface. a Granite forms whe Granite form Granite formswhei orms cools slowly beneat ols slowly be Earth’s surface. Earth’s surfac

Sometimes, magma cools slowly beneath the Earth’s surface and forms rocks such as granite.

Other times, heat and pressure cause magma to break through openings in the Earth’s surface, called volcanoes. The magma flows onto the Earth’s surface as lava. The lava cools rapidly and forms solid rocks such as basalt. and forms solid rocks such as basalt.

Think Deeply How are magma and lava similar? How are they different? Draw a picture or create a Venn diagram. ti tion on Dee magma and ? How different? Draw picture or create diagram.

Basalt is an igneous rock that forms when lava cools rapidly.

sandstone

On the surface of the Earth, weathering and erosion break down rock and the remains of living things into small particles. Wind and water transport these particles to areas of dry land, into rivers, lakes and the ocean. Groups of these particles settle to form sediments. Over many years, layers of sediments form and are pressed together forming new rock called sedimentary rock. Common types of sedimentary rock include ucatio rth, weathering a h, weathering a k and the rema and the rem particles. Wind rticles. Wind ticles to areas of s to areas o nd the ocean. G e ocean. G o form sedimen rm sedimen years, layers of s rs, layers of ed together form ether form t kntary rock roc . mon types of se n types of sandstone and limestone.ndstone and lim ne and lim In sedimentary rock, it is often possible to see the In sedimentary edimenta layers of sediment from which they are formed. yers of sedrs of sed

layers of s sedimentary rock limestone

Metamorphic rocks are formed when igneous and sedimentary rocks are subject to heat and pressure beneath the Earth’s surface. Over time, the heat and pressure cause the rock to change form. The new metamorphic rock that forms has different properties from the original rock. Heat and pressure beneath the Earth’s surface can cause limestone, a sedimentary rock, to change to marble, a metamorphic rock. Slate is another type of metamorphic rock. It is formed from the sedimentary rock, shale. Think Deeply How is the formation of metamorphic rocks similar to the formation of igneous rocks? cation is ation on hink Dee s the form of metamorphi similar to the igneous roc

Pink and gray layers of the metamorphic rock, gneiss. Slate is a metamorphic rock formed from shale. egal Pink and gray layers of d gray layers metamorphic rock, gne amorphic rock, gne morphic hic morphic phic m shale. ale

Marble is a metamorphic rock formed from limestone.

A Closer Look The Rock Cycle

Over millions of years, the weathering of rocks and soil on the Earth’s surface along with heat and pressure beneath the Earth’s surface cause rocks to continually change from one form to another. This process is called the rock cycle. igneous rock al ga eduucat