| A | B |
|---|
| mineral | nonliving, solid matter from the earth |
| How are all rocks alike? | All rocks are made up of one or more minerals. |
| What are the 3 characteristics of minerals? | luster, color, and hardness |
| What is another word for luster? | Shininess |
| What is luster? | Luster is the way a mineral reflects light. |
| What is a good example of a mineral that has a lot of luster? | gold |
| Do minerals come in many different colors? | yes |
| Do minerals change colors? | Yes |
| Is color a good way to identify minerals? | no |
| What is the hardest mineral? | diamond |
| What is a scratch test? | A scratch test is done to compare the hardness of the minerals. The harder mineral will scratch the softer mineral. |
| What are the 3 types of rocks? | The 3 types of rocks are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. |
| How is an igneous rock formed? | It forms from magma that cools under the earth's surface or from the lava that hardens on the earth's surface. |
| What is an example of an igneous rock? | granite |
| What are sedimentary rocks made of? | Sedimentary rocks are made from tiny pieces of rocks, shells, and sand called sediments. |
| How are sedimentary rocks formed? | The sediments are carried into lakes and oceans by rivers and streams. They sink to the bottom and a pressed together. This takes many years. |
| What are 2 examples of sedimentary rocks? | sandstone and limestone |
| What does the word "metamorphic" mean? | It means "to change". |
| What are metamorphic rocks made from? | They are igneous or sedimentary rocks that have changed. |
| What causes the change? | Heat from deep in the earth and pressure of rocks above cause the change. |
| What are the building blocks of rocks? | Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. |
| How is soil formed? | Soil is formed from weathered rock, minerals, and humus. |
| What is humus? | Humus is decayed plant and animal matter |
| What are the 3 types of soil? | The 3 types of soil are sand, clay, and topsoil. |
| Sand | does not hold water well and is not good for growing plants |
| Clay | holds water well, but difficult for plants to grow in because it is hard |
| Topsoil | holds water well and is BEST for growing plants |
| Nutrient | substance in soil used for growth and repair |
| What does soil also contain besides weathered rock and humus? | It also contains pockets of air and water. |
| Which soil has few nutrients? | sand |
| Which soils are rich in nutrients? | clay and topsoil |
| What is topsoil a mixture of? | Topsoil is a mixture of sand, clay, and humus |
| What is an example of a metamorphic rock? | Marble is a metamorphic rock that was changed from limestone, a sedimentary rock. |
