Rocks & Minerals Reflection

In this unit, we learned lots about both rocks and minerals! WE compered them, researched about them, talked about them and more! We took notes on them and answered the following questions-

• How are rocks created?
• What types of rocks are there? How are they made? Give examples.
• What is the rock cycle? Explain and add diagram.
• How can you identify a mineral?
• How are minerals created?
• Can rocks be minerals? Explain.
• What is the most precious mineral and why.
• Give 3 types of rocks & minerals and 3 interesting information about each.

Now I will answer all of the questions listed above.

1. How are rocks created?
2. Rocks are created of 2 or more minerals.
3. What types of rocks are there? How are they made and give examples.
4. There is 3 types of rock. Igneous, Sedimentary & Metamorphic. Igneous is made when these are rocks that solidified directly from molten silicates, which geologists call magma. Examples are: granite, basalt, pumice and flint (which is a form of quartz). Sedimentary is formed when these are formed when igneous rocks are eroded as a sediment under the sea. Fossils are often found in this layer. Examples are limestone, chalk, sandstone. Metamorphic rocks are formed when these are made up of igneous and sedimentary rocks of all ages which have been subjected to intense pressure. Examples are: slate, marble, quartzite. 
5. What is the rock cycle. Explain and include diagram.
6. The rock cycle is a collection of process which shape the surface of the earth. Rocks are constantly recycled by burial, melting, uplift and erosion.  These processes are driven from inside the earth and the sun.( In which drives processes in the atmosphere and lends to the weathering of rock)
7. How can you identify a mineral?
8. In order to identify a a mineral ask your self the following questions- Is it a non-living material? Is it a solid? Is it formed in nature? Does it have a crystallized strucute?
9. How are minerals created?
10. Minerals occur naturally on earth. Each mineral has a specific chemical compound, as compered to rocks, which don't need a special atomic structure.  
11. Can rocks be minerals? Explain.
12. I think that rocks can not be minerals, because rocks ARE made out of minerals.
13. What is the most precious mineral? Explain.
14. I think the most precious mineral is diamond. It is the most precious mineral because it is the most rare mineral, very hard and also very very hard to find. 
15. Give 3 types of minerals and rocks and interesting information about them.
16. There are three types of rocks, which are classified based on their formation. They are identified by comparing various characteristics, including color, hardness, texture, chemical composition and fossil content. The 3 types are- Igneous rocks are formed immediately after cooling down of magma. If the magma cools down underneath the Earth's surface, intrusive igneous rocks are formed (e.g. granite); whereas extrusive igneous rocks are formed after cooling of the volcanic lava or molten rock (e.g. basalt). Read more on igneous rock facts. Sedimentary Rocks - Sedimentary rocks are formed after deposition and compaction of eroded matter and transported sediments (e.g. sandstone, mud stone, limestone). Formation of these rocks takes place on or below the Earth's surface. Read more on sedimentary rock facts. Metamorphic Rocks - A metamorphic rock is formed from igneous, sedimentary or another metamorphic rook, after subjecting it to a very high temperature and pressure (e.g marble). Read more on metamorphic rock facts. As of date, more than 2000 types of minerals have been identified. And with each passing day, new minerals are being discovered by geologists. Hence, it is impossible to remember all the types of minerals. Based on the presence or absence of silica, minerals are categorized into two types. Silicate Minerals - The primary components for silicate minerals are silica and oxygen. They are formed after cooling down molten rocks, either on the Earth's surface or below the surface. Some common examples of silicate minerals are quartz, mica and feldspar. Non-Silicate Minerals - As the name signifies, silica and oxygen are absent in non-silicate type of minerals. They may be formed after cooling down magma or after modification of magma. Examples of non-silicate minerals are oxides, sulfides and carbonates.

That was all that I studied about. Although above I listed only a few of the 1,000 facts, I am pretty sure that the facts are not false. Below I will post some pictures of Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. I will also post the rocks cycle and other pictures to help you understand what I was talking about.

                                                           Igneous Rock-

Metamorphic Rock-

Sedimentary Rock-

The rock cycle-

In conclusion, learning about rocks & minerals is fun, BUT can sometimes be difficult! The names especially are very hard to pronounce, but other then that I think it was a pretty fun unit! Rocks and mineral are a very big and interesting topic to study! I hope that I can do some more research and further inquary next time that we do this unit!