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Chapter 10 – Solid Earth
Test Study Guide
Know the following terms’ definitions. As always, knowing the terms will enable you to
answer other questions besides definitions.
Section 1
Rock – a solid material made up of one or more minerals or other substances, including the remains of
once-living things
Crust – A layer of solid rock that surrounds Earth’s surface
Geology – study of planet Earth, including Earth’s surface and interior
Geologist – scientists who study Earth and the process that have shaped earth over time including
physical conditions, such as temperature and pressure inside Earth
Inner core – a sphere of hot, solid metal inside the Earth
Outer core – a layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core
Mantle – a thick layer of hot, mostly solid material that surrounds the outer core
Lithosphere – the rigid outer covering of earth made up of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle
Section 2
Mineral – a solid, inorganic material that forms naturally on or beneath Earth’s surface, that has a crystal
structure and definite chemical composition
Streak – the color of a mineral’s powder
Cleavage – when a mineral breaks apart easily along flat surfaces
Fracture – when a mineral breaks apart along irregular surfaces
Magma – molten material inside Earth
Lava – molten material that reaches Earth’s surface
Section 3
Igneous rock – rock formed when magma or lava cools and hardens
Sedimentary rock – rock formed when particles of rock and other materials are pressed and stuck
together
Sediment – particles of rock or material from living things
Erosion – the movement of sediment from place to place
Deposition – when sediment is laid down
Metamorphic rock – rock formed from high heat and great pressure deep beneath Earth’s surface
Rock cycle – a series of processes on and beneath Earth’s surface that slowly change rocks from one kind
to another
Science Court Terms
Fossils – the remains of living things that lived long, long ago
Paleontologist – a person who studies fossils
Petrification – the process that turns living things, like bones, into rocks
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You should know
Section 1

What geologists study - physical conditions, such as temperature and pressure inside Earth and
forces inside the Earth that affect the surface

The major layers of Earth’s interior and their composition
o Inner core – solid iron and nickel
o Outer core – liquid iron and nickel
o Mantle – hot but mostly solid material
o Aesthenosphere – a part of the mantle that is a molten layer so plates may move
o Lithosphere – top layer of the Earth consisting of the crust, which is a thin rock layer
and the uppermost part of the mantle.
Section 2

How minerals form – naturally on or beneath Earth’s surface

Characteristics of minerals
o Solid
o Inorganic – not made from living things
o Naturally occurring
o Crystal structure – repeating pattern of mineral’s atoms
o Definite chemical composition

Properties of minerals
o Hardness – whether one mineral can scratch another
o Color
o Streak - the color of the mineral’s powder
o Luster – the way a mineral reflects light from its surface
o How it breaks
 Cleavage – along a smooth surface
 Fracture – along irregular surfaces
o Density – how much mass is contained in a given volume

How to interpret a Moh’s Hardness Scale chart-higher number of hardness will scratch lower
numbers
Section 3

What geologists look at to classify rocks
o Color
o Texture – size of rock’s grains
o Composition – what it is made of
o How it is formed

Three major groups of rocks
o Igneous
o Sedimentary
o Metamorphic

Sub-groups of igneous and sedimentary rocks
o Igneous
 Intrusive – formed beneath the Earth’s surface
 Extrusive – formed on Earth’s surface
o Sedimentary
 Clastic – pieces of rock that have been pressed and stuck together, like
conglomerate rock
 Organic – rock formed from the remains of living things, like coal and limestone
 Chemical – rock formed when dissolved minerals come out of solution and form
crystals, like halite, or rock salt
Name______________________________ Teacher___________Period_______Date_________

How the major groups of rocks form
o Igneous – when magma or lava cools and hardens
o Sedimentary – when particles of rock and other materials are pressed and stuck together
o Metamorphic – formed when other types of rock undergo great heat and pressure

Summarize and interpret diagrams on the
rock cycle – CIRCLED ITEMS ARE
IMPORTANT
o Heat and pressure lead to
metamorphic rock.
o Magma cooling and hardening leads
to igneous rock.
o Weathering, erosion, compaction and
o cementation lead to sedimentary rock
The only completely liquid layer is the outer core!!
It is approximately 6370 km from the surface to the
middle of the inner core.

Complete the Chapter 16 Assessment on pages 350-351.