MINERALS & ROCKS

Let’s explore more together

Vocabulary review

Terms

◦ Mineral

◦ Luster

Definitions

◦ Natural, nonliving solid crystals that

make up rocks

◦ Think of it as a shine

Terms

◦ Sediment

◦ Sedimentary rock

Definitions

◦ These are the materials that settle

to the bottom of oceans, rivers,

and lakes

◦ A type of rock that forms when

sediments are pressed together

and then harden over time

Terms

◦ Igneous rock

◦ Metamorphic rock

Definitions

◦ These rocks form when molten

(partially melted) rocks cool and

harden

◦ These rocks form when

tremendous pressure and heat

change other rocks

Which vocabulary term would best match each picture?

Picture A Picture B

Picture C Picture D

Picture E Picture F

Interesting cave art formations

Luray Caverns

◦ Stalagmites – these structures rise

from the floor of a cave and are

formed of calcium salts left by

dripping water

◦ Stalactites – these structures hang

like an icicle from the roof of a

cave and are formed the same

way as stalagmites

All rocks are made of minerals

◦ If all rocks are made of

minerals, why are rocks

different from each other?

◦ They are made of different

combinations of minerals.

Let’s try another question

◦ Why would a grain of quartz

from one area be exactly

the same as a grain of

quartz from another area?

◦ Quartz is a mineral, and all

grains of quartz have the

same chemical properties.

Gemstones vs. rocks vs. minerals

Gemstones

◦ A gemstone is usually a mineral, but it

is one that has formed crystals and

then been cut and polished

professionally to be made into a piece

of jewelry.

Rocks

◦ Rocks are made from minerals and

can come in every size: They can be

tiny pebbles or mountains big enough

on which to climb or drive. Rocks do

not have a special chemical or

mineral makeup.

Minerals

◦ Minerals are crystals that make up

different types of rocks and

gemstones. There are more than 4,000

minerals that are formed naturally

within the earth, and each one has a

specific crystal structure.