Rocks and Minerals Web quest
Rock Cycle
1. What are the three main types of rocks?
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
2. How does a sedimentary rock turn into a metamorphic rock?
Heat and pressure
3. How does an igneous rock turn into a metamorphic rock?
Metamorphic rocks underground melt to become magma. When a volcano erupts, magma flows out of it. As the lava cools it hardens and becomes igneous rock.
4. How do metamorphic rocks change into sedimentary rocks?
When rocks are heated to 300 to 700 degrees Celsius then the tectonic plates move around and they produce heat and when they collide they build mountains and when the mountains are broken down and washed away by streams. New sediments from these mountains can make new sedimentary rock.
5. How do igneous rocks change into sedimentary rocks?
Sediments drop from the wind or water to make a layer. The layer can be buried under other layers of sediments. After a long time the sediments can be cemented together to make sedimentary rock.
6. What is the beginning of the rock cycle? The end?
It is a group of changes so I has no end or beginning but the igneous rock can change into sedimentary rock or into metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rock can change into metamorphic rock or into igneous rock. Metamorphic rock can change into igneous or sedimentary rock.
View this Rock Cycle animation
7. Quick cooling forms many small what?
Crystals
8. When you look at the desert monuments, what eroded away?
the sandstorm eroded most of the monument away but some of the remains are still standing.
9. The microscopic view of sandstone contains what two components?
Sand grains and cement
10. What two things are needed to turn igneous rock into metamorphic rock?
Pressure and heat
Rocks
11. List and define the 6 key characteristics that can help you identify rocks within the three main classes.
a. Crystals- small, flat surfaces that are shiny or sparkly, like tiny mirrors
b. Fossils- imprints of leaves, shells, insects, or other items in the rock
c. Gas Bubbles- "Holes" like Swiss cheese, in the rock
d. Glassy Surface-a shiny and smooth surface, like colored glass
e. Ribbon like layers- straight or wavy stripes of different colors in the rock
f. Sand or pebbles- individual stones, pebbles, or sand grains visible in the rock
Rock Identification Key
12. For igneous rock, when magma cools slowly the crystals…
are large enough to see
13. For igneous rock, when magma cools quickly, the crystals…
are very hard to see and you would need a magnifier
14. Of the types of igneous rock formed underground, which one is most familiar?
Granite
15. When looking at sedimentary particle size, which material type has the largest particles and which has the smallest particles?
Sand has the largest while clay has the smallest
16. Which metamorphic rock forms under the highest temperature and highest pressure?
Foiled metamorphic rocks
Mystery Rocks
17. How much of earth’s surface is made of sedimentary rock?
3 QUARTERS
18. Give 4 examples of sediment that might eventually become sedimentary rock.
Rivers, oceans, winds, and rain runoff
19. What caused the appearance in the sedimentary rock in picture B?
weathering and erosion
Mohs Scale
20. What is Mohs Scale used for?
to see how hard a rock is
21. What mineral is a 10 on Mohs Scale?
Diamond
22. Give an example of a mineral with a hardness of 7 (according to Mohs Scale). Tell me about that mineral.
Quartz has a hardness of 7. This mineral chemical compound consisting of one part silicon and two parts oxygen. Quartz is the most abundant and widely distributed mineral found at Earth's surface. It can be found anywhere on the Earth.
23. If a mineral can scratch a penny, what number is it on Mohs Scale?
It is a number 3 on the Mohs scale.
Streak
24. Sometimes the color and the streak of a mineral are very different. Which of the examples shows a difference between color and streak?
Magnetite has the color of black and a streak of black/grey and the mineral Oolitic Hematie has the color of red and the streak color red/brown.
25. Show your work for calculating the density of block 1 and 2.
155.8 grams/920 ml so then it would be 155.8 grams/7.79 g/cc. So the density is 7.79 g/cc. The closest mineral to having this density is galena but has a density of 7.60 g/cc
26. Submit your answers to verify your correctness. If you are incorrect, correct your answers and resubmit.
Rock Cycle
1. What are the three main types of rocks?
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
2. How does a sedimentary rock turn into a metamorphic rock?
Heat and pressure
3. How does an igneous rock turn into a metamorphic rock?
Metamorphic rocks underground melt to become magma. When a volcano erupts, magma flows out of it. As the lava cools it hardens and becomes igneous rock.
4. How do metamorphic rocks change into sedimentary rocks?
When rocks are heated to 300 to 700 degrees Celsius then the tectonic plates move around and they produce heat and when they collide they build mountains and when the mountains are broken down and washed away by streams. New sediments from these mountains can make new sedimentary rock.
5. How do igneous rocks change into sedimentary rocks?
Sediments drop from the wind or water to make a layer. The layer can be buried under other layers of sediments. After a long time the sediments can be cemented together to make sedimentary rock.
6. What is the beginning of the rock cycle? The end?
It is a group of changes so I has no end or beginning but the igneous rock can change into sedimentary rock or into metamorphic rock. Sedimentary rock can change into metamorphic rock or into igneous rock. Metamorphic rock can change into igneous or sedimentary rock.
View this Rock Cycle animation
7. Quick cooling forms many small what?
Crystals
8. When you look at the desert monuments, what eroded away?
the sandstorm eroded most of the monument away but some of the remains are still standing.
9. The microscopic view of sandstone contains what two components?
Sand grains and cement
10. What two things are needed to turn igneous rock into metamorphic rock?
Pressure and heat
Rocks
11. List and define the 6 key characteristics that can help you identify rocks within the three main classes.
a. Crystals- small, flat surfaces that are shiny or sparkly, like tiny mirrors
b. Fossils- imprints of leaves, shells, insects, or other items in the rock
c. Gas Bubbles- "Holes" like Swiss cheese, in the rock
d. Glassy Surface-a shiny and smooth surface, like colored glass
e. Ribbon like layers- straight or wavy stripes of different colors in the rock
f. Sand or pebbles- individual stones, pebbles, or sand grains visible in the rock
Rock Identification Key
12. For igneous rock, when magma cools slowly the crystals…
are large enough to see
13. For igneous rock, when magma cools quickly, the crystals…
are very hard to see and you would need a magnifier
14. Of the types of igneous rock formed underground, which one is most familiar?
Granite
15. When looking at sedimentary particle size, which material type has the largest particles and which has the smallest particles?
Sand has the largest while clay has the smallest
16. Which metamorphic rock forms under the highest temperature and highest pressure?
Foiled metamorphic rocks
Mystery Rocks
17. How much of earth’s surface is made of sedimentary rock?
3 QUARTERS
18. Give 4 examples of sediment that might eventually become sedimentary rock.
Rivers, oceans, winds, and rain runoff
19. What caused the appearance in the sedimentary rock in picture B?
weathering and erosion
Mohs Scale
20. What is Mohs Scale used for?
to see how hard a rock is
21. What mineral is a 10 on Mohs Scale?
Diamond
22. Give an example of a mineral with a hardness of 7 (according to Mohs Scale). Tell me about that mineral.
Quartz has a hardness of 7. This mineral chemical compound consisting of one part silicon and two parts oxygen. Quartz is the most abundant and widely distributed mineral found at Earth's surface. It can be found anywhere on the Earth.
23. If a mineral can scratch a penny, what number is it on Mohs Scale?
It is a number 3 on the Mohs scale.
Streak
24. Sometimes the color and the streak of a mineral are very different. Which of the examples shows a difference between color and streak?
Magnetite has the color of black and a streak of black/grey and the mineral Oolitic Hematie has the color of red and the streak color red/brown.
25. Show your work for calculating the density of block 1 and 2.
155.8 grams/920 ml so then it would be 155.8 grams/7.79 g/cc. So the density is 7.79 g/cc. The closest mineral to having this density is galena but has a density of 7.60 g/cc
26. Submit your answers to verify your correctness. If you are incorrect, correct your answers and resubmit.