Download Rocks and Minerals

Rocks and Minerals
Study Guide
Directions: Write a definition for the following terms.
Rock – a naturally formed solid made of one or more minerals
Mineral – an object that is solid, formed in nature, and has never been alive
Properties of Rocks– minerals are identified by color, hardness (Moh’s
scale), texture, luster (shiny, dull), and streak
Streak – color of the powder left behind when you rub a mineral on a white
tile
Rock Cycle – one type of rock can become another type
Igneous rock – rock that was once melted and then cooled and hardened
Metamorphic rock – rock that has been changed by heat and pressure
Sedimentary rock – rock formed from material that has settled into layers
Weathering – the breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces by water, ice,
wind, roots, or chemicals
Erosion – the movement of weathered rock and soil
Creep – slow erosion
Sand dunes – formed by wind
Glacier (what can it form) – huge block of moving ice that can form a valley
Directions: Answer the following questions.
How do you think a glacier could have formed a valley in a place that is very
warm? The place was once much colder.
What do you think could be the cause of a beach not being as wide as it used
to be? The sand was eroded away by the water.
What can cause a river to change its location over time? Sediments that are
carried down the river will settle and new land will build up causing the river
to go around it.