Properties and ChangesRocks and Minerals

Can be observed or measured to describe

matter.

Physical Property

Strength Hardness Flexibility Ability to conduct heat Ability to conduct electricity Ability to be attracted by magnets Reactions to water and fire

Physical Properties of Matter

Ability to resist being moved or broken by

force.

Strength

A measure of how resistant solid matter is to

permanent shapes when a force is applied.

Hardness

Capable of bending without breaking.

Flexibility

A channel in which something travels/moves

through.

Conduct

Forming or breaking chemical bonds between

atoms causing changes to the original structure.

Reaction

Combining elements to make a whole.

Composition

Minerals are naturally occurring. They are

usually solid and feature a crystal structure as well as chemical composition.

Mineral

Capable of being seen.

Observable

How a mineral appears to reflect light, and

how shiny or dull the mineral is.

Luster

Color

Color results from a mineral’s chemical composition and impurities.

Fracture and parting of atoms in a mineral,

and the pattern which it breaks when put under stress.

Cleavage

Color of the powder produced when it is

dragged across a streak plate.

Streak

List of minerals numbered 1 to 10 on a scale of softness (1) or

hardness (10).

1. Talc2. Gypsum3. Calcite4. Fluorite5. Apatite6. Orthoclase Feldspar7. Quartz8. Topaz9. Corundum10. Diamond

Moh’s Hardness Scale

Minerals make up Earth's rocks, sands, and soils. 

Rocks are minerals, but minerals are not rocks.

Molten rock is rock heated to a temperature

that turns it into a thick liquid.

Molten

breaking down of rocks, soil and minerals

Weathering and Erosion

Rocks and minerals that are moved to a

different location through weathering and erosion.

Deposit

 Pressure on the rock with the weight of

overlying layers. This squashes grains together more tightly. 

Compacted

Change in composition or structure

Transformed

Igneous rocks are formed from molten rock

called magma. They are mostly made up of interlocking crystals and are usually very hard to break.

Igneous Rock

Basalt Pumice Granite

Sedimentary rocks are formed from sediment

grains deposited by water, wind or ice. They are always formed in layers, and often contain fossils.

Sedimentary Rock

Sandstone Conglomerate

Limestone and Chalk

Metamorphic rocks were once igneous or

sedimentary rocks, but have been changed as a result of intense heat and/or pressure within the Earth’s crust.

Metamorphic Rock

GneissShale Marble Schist

http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3446.html