2. What is a rock?
A rock is a mixture of such minerals, rock
fragments, volcanic glass, organic matter, or other
natural materials.
Most rock used for building stone contains one or
more common minerals, called rock-forming
minerals, such as quartz, feldspar, mica, or calcite
• When you look closely, the sparkles you see are
individual crystals of minerals.
3. What is the difference between a
rock & a mineral?
Minerals are solid,
naturally occurring,
inorganic, have a
fixed composition
and are made of
one or more
elements.
Rocks are made of
one or more
minerals.
4. Made of
elements
Solid
Can be made
of lava/
magma
Have
crystals
Can be
formed from
solutions
Must be
inorganic
Made only of
compounds
Elements must be
chemically bonded
Naturally
occurring
Can be made
from organic
materials
Mixtures
made of
minerals
Can be
man made
5. Rock Types
There are three
types of rocks
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
6. What is the rock cycle?
To show how rocks slowly change through
time, scientists have created a model called the
rock cycle.
It illustrates the processes that create and
change rocks.
7. Rock Cycle Continued
The rock cycle shows the three types of
rock— igneous, metamorphic, and
sedimentary—and the processes that form
them.
8. The RRoocckk CCyyccllee explains
how RocksRocks and Natural ProcessesNatural Processes
are related
weathering
melting
pressure,heat
Sedimentary Metamorphic
Igneous
9. What is the law of conservation
of matter?
Law of conservation of matter states that
matter cannot be created or destroyed.
• The changes that take place in the rock
cycle never destroy or create matter.
• The elements are just redistributed in other
forms.
10. What is the law of conservation
of matter?
Law of conservation of matter states that
matter cannot be created or destroyed.
• The changes that take place in the rock
cycle never destroy or create matter.
• The elements are just redistributed in other
forms.
Editor's Notes
Is the rock cycle really this simple, neat and colorful?
(NO)
Created October 2, 2000, revised September 2001