Elements Minerals Rock

Minerals Naturally occurring

Solid

Inorganic/Non-living

Fixed chemical formula

Crystalline structure

Identified by

hardness

characteristic

Minerals (examples)

Halite(table salt) is a mineral.

Sugar is a crystalline solid but comes from plants, sugar cane. This classifies it as an organic compound and so is not a mineral.

Coal on the other hand also comes from plants (organic) and is generally considered a mineral.

What is a Rock anyways?

A solid, naturally

occurring, make up of

minerals or mineral

like matter.

Not organic

Constantly changing

forms

What are Rocks made of?

Some rocks are just composed of

just one mineral. (ex: quartz)

Most rocks are a mixture of

several minerals. (ex: granite)

Why care about Rocks?

Energy & Commerce

• Fossil Fuels

• Gems

• Countertops & other building materials

History of the Earth

• Dinosaurs, Pass Climates, Pangaea

• Other Planets

• Meteorites

• Rock Samples (from missions)

Careers

• Geologists, Archeologist, Climatologist, Engineers,

Architects, Artists

3 Types of Rocks

Igneous

Sedimentary

Metamorphic

Rocks are classified by the processes under which they were formed.

How to identify rocks?

Color

Luster

Weight

Fracture - breaks

Weight

Magnetism

Tenacity - toughness

Hardness – scratch test

Transparency

Magnetism

Crystal Formation

Scientist used to lick and taste rocks!

Not a good idea there is a lot of

Arsenic out there!

General Characteristic of Rocks

Igneous Metamorphic Sedimentary

Crystals

Fine-grained

Glassy

Bubbles

Warped

Distorted

Bands

Flakes

Dense

Layers

Fossils

Fragments

Igneous Rock

Latin for “fire”

Formed when magma cools (lava) and makes

crystals

The rate at which they cool determines type.

Underground- magma cools slowly Above ground - magma cools quickly.

Basalt GranitePumice

IGNEOUS ROCK

• Igneous Rock form from magma within

boundaries of a continent is mostly

composed of Granite.

• Igneous Rock form from magma within

boundaries of the ocean is mostly

composed of Basalt.

Sedimentary Rock

Latin for “settling”

Sediments of different types of rocks together into

layers.

“cemented” together large pieces with mud or silt

Processes;

Weathering, Deposition, Erosion, Compaction,

Cementation

ShaleSandstone Halite

(salt)Coal

Sedimentary RockLimestone is a sedimentary rock consisting of more

than 50% calcium carbonate (calcite - CaCO3). There

are many different types of limestone formed through a

variety of processes. Limestone can be precipitated

from water (non-clastic, chemical or inorganic

limestone), secreted by marine organisms such as

algae and coral (biochemical limestone), or can form

from the shells of dead sea creatures (bioclastic

limestone). Some limestones form from the

cementation of sand and / or mud by calcite

(clastic limestone), and these often have the

appearance of sandstone or mudstone. As calcite is the

principle mineral component of limestone, it will fizz in

dilute hydrochloric acid.

Marble(Parent

rock of

Limestone)

GneissSlate

Metamorphic Rock

Latin Meta - “change” Morph - “form”

When rocks are changed due to heat

and pressure.

Has to be a great deal of heat like in the

mantle. (Think convergence boundaries)

Ro

ck

Cyc

le

Melting

Heat and

Pressure

Melting

Cooling

Weathering

And Erosion

Heat and

Pressure

Weathering

And Erosion

Weathering

And Erosion

Compaction

And concreting

Faults

Sedimentary Basin

Mountains

Volcanos

Earthquakes

Plate Tectonics Causes

a low area in the Earth’s crust, of

tectonic origin, in which sediments

(sand, mud etc.) accumulate

range in size from hundreds of meters

to large parts of ocean basins

Sedimentary Basin

(divergent boundary)

A Brief Tour

Crystal size Description

Grain Size

COOKIES!

Bring a batch of cookies –

enough for everyone in class.

Make sure they are unique we

need variety.

Homemade or store-bought.

NEED TUESDAY!!

Please don’t all bring Chocolate chip!

Igneous rocks have

“Intergrown Crystals”

Not Intergrown

Intergrown

Where it was formed?

Outside the volcano: Extrusive Inside the Earth: Intrusive

Bubbles? Yes= Vesicular

Bubbles? No=Non-vesicular

ColorVery Light

Light

NotVery Light Not Very Dark

Dark

Very Dark

Neither Light nor Dark

Ligh

tes

t

Da

rke

st

Mafic is rock

that is rich

in magnesium

and iron

Felsic refers

to rocks that

rich in

elements that

form feldspar

and quartz

DensityVery Light

Light Dense Very Dense

Medium Density

Finding The MineralsIdentify the rock. Unless you have other information,

work in the middle of the rock’s box.

This is the amount of Potassium Feldspar in the rock.

This is the amount of Quartz in the rock.

This is the amount of Plagioclase Feldspar in the rock.

Use tick marks on a scrap paper to measure the percentage.

Potassium Feldspar 25%

Quartz 40%

PracticeName a light-colored, fine-grained

rock with no bubbles.

Name a coarse-grained, dense rock.

Name a very light-colored, glassy,

extrusive rock with bubbles.