Types of Rocks and Minerals
A mineral is a solid that forms naturally and inorganically that has a definite crystal-line structure. A mineral can be found by answering the following questions: "Is it a nonliving material?", "Is it a solid?", "Does it have a crystal-line structure?", and "Was it formed in nature?". If all of the answers are yes, the object is a mineral. All minerals contain one or more of the 92 naturally occurring elements, or pure substances that can't be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical means. Most minerals are made up of compounds of many types of various elements. A compound is a substance chemically joined formed two or more elements. Minerals can be silicate or nonsilicate. Silicate minerals are minerals that contain a mixture of silicon and oxygen, but nonsilicate minerals are minerals that don't consist of a combination of silicon and oxygen. Each mineral can be identified by its color, luster, streak, cleavage, and fracture. The color is the color of the rock, and the streak is the color of the powder left behind on a streak plate from a rock. The rock's luster is the way the rock's surface reflects light. The cleavage of a rock is the tendency of some minerals to break along flat, smooth surfaces, however the fracture of a rock is the tendency of a rock to break unevenly along curved or irregular surfaces. The minerals' hardnesses are tested by Mohs Hardness Scale. The scale measures mineral's hardness on a rate from 1-10, 1 being soft as Talc to 10 being as hard as a Diamond. Even though some people think rocks and minerals are the same thing, they are not.
A rock is a solid mixture of one or more minerals and organic matter. Rocks go through a cycle of life called the rock cycle. In this cycle, rocks are turned into three different types of rocks including: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. The "igneous" is the Latin word of "fire". Igneous rock forms when magma cools and becomes a solid. The type of igneous rock that forms depends on the amount of time it takes for the magma to cool and also on the composition of the magma that is being cooled. Then the igneous rock becomes a sedimentary rock after a couple more steps. Sand is a product of weathering, and those sand grains are compacted and cemented together to form sandstone. Sedimentary rock is known for their strata, or the layers of rock. Their strata can sometimes be seen for miles. Stratification is what forms the strata. Sandstone is classified by the way it forms, and it is also classified on the texture of the rock. After the sedimentary rock goes through metamorphism, it forms metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks are rocks whose structure, texture, and composition have all changed. Foliated metamorphic rocks usually contain grains of flat minerals, like biotite mica or chlorite. Foliated means that the texture of metamorphic rock in which the mineral grains are arranged in plains or bands. Nonfoliated rocks are rocks that has the texture of a metamorphic rock in which the mineral grains are not arranged in planes or bands. Rocks may seem like minerals, but the rocks are only made up of minerals.
Sources:
Paragraph 1&2: Holt Science & Technology Earth Science Textbook
Paragraph 2: http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/webdav/site/GSL/shared/images/education_and_careers/RockCycle/Rock %20Cycle%20all%20labels.jpg
Picture above: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/SandstoneUSGOV.jpg/220px-Sandstone USGOV.jpg
Picture below: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RtXFWprAKEs/UMaggLoIIGI/AAAAAAAAB9U/dG8Mic3J_ho/s1600/ minerals.jpg
Title picture: http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ehow/images/a07/9r/5c/rock-mineral-types-1.1-800x800.jpg
A rock is a solid mixture of one or more minerals and organic matter. Rocks go through a cycle of life called the rock cycle. In this cycle, rocks are turned into three different types of rocks including: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. The "igneous" is the Latin word of "fire". Igneous rock forms when magma cools and becomes a solid. The type of igneous rock that forms depends on the amount of time it takes for the magma to cool and also on the composition of the magma that is being cooled. Then the igneous rock becomes a sedimentary rock after a couple more steps. Sand is a product of weathering, and those sand grains are compacted and cemented together to form sandstone. Sedimentary rock is known for their strata, or the layers of rock. Their strata can sometimes be seen for miles. Stratification is what forms the strata. Sandstone is classified by the way it forms, and it is also classified on the texture of the rock. After the sedimentary rock goes through metamorphism, it forms metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rocks are rocks whose structure, texture, and composition have all changed. Foliated metamorphic rocks usually contain grains of flat minerals, like biotite mica or chlorite. Foliated means that the texture of metamorphic rock in which the mineral grains are arranged in plains or bands. Nonfoliated rocks are rocks that has the texture of a metamorphic rock in which the mineral grains are not arranged in planes or bands. Rocks may seem like minerals, but the rocks are only made up of minerals.
Sources:
Paragraph 1&2: Holt Science & Technology Earth Science Textbook
Paragraph 2: http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/webdav/site/GSL/shared/images/education_and_careers/RockCycle/Rock %20Cycle%20all%20labels.jpg
Picture above: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/SandstoneUSGOV.jpg/220px-Sandstone USGOV.jpg
Picture below: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RtXFWprAKEs/UMaggLoIIGI/AAAAAAAAB9U/dG8Mic3J_ho/s1600/ minerals.jpg
Title picture: http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ehow/images/a07/9r/5c/rock-mineral-types-1.1-800x800.jpg