| A | B |
|---|
| mineral | naturally occuring, inorganic solid that forms on or beneaths Earth's surface,has crystal shape and definite chemical composition |
| inorganic | did not form from materials that were once part of a living thing |
| crystal | a solid made up of particles that line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again |
| definite chemical composition | made up of certain elements in definite proportions |
| rock cycle | a series of processes on and beneath Earth's surface that slowly change rocks from one kind to another |
| three types of rocks | igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary |
| igneous rock | a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface |
| sedimentary rock | a type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together |
| sediment | small solid pieces of material from rocks or living things |
| metamorphic rock | rock that forms when a rock is changed by heat, pressure or chemical reactions |
| nonrenewable resource | a resource that is not replaced in a useful time frame |
| uses of minerals | gemstones, metals, foil, jewelry, grinding, polishing |
| uses of rock | building materials and in industrial processes |
| ore | a rock that contains a metal or other useful mineral that can be mined and sold for a profit |
| smelting | ore is mixed with other substances then melted to seperate the useful metal from other elements ore contains |
| weathering | process that breaks down rock and other substances at Earth's surface |
| erosion | transportation of sediment by wind, water, ice or gravity |
| weathering and erosion | these processes work together continuosly to wear down and carry away the rocks at the Earth's surface |
| uniformitarianism | the prinicple that states that the same processes that operate today operated in the past |
| mechanical weathering | type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces |
| causes of mechanical weathering | freezing and thawing, release of pressure, plant growth, actions of animals and abrasion |
| abrasion | grinding away of rock by rock particles carried by water, ice, wind or gravity |
| ice wedging | process that splits rock when water seeps into cracks, then freezes and expands |
| chemical weathering | process that breaks down rock through chemical changes |
| causes of chemical weathering | water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, living things and acid rain |
| oxidation | iron combines with oxygen in the presence of water |
| product of oxidation | rust |
| acid rain | sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen combine with water vapor in clouds forming acids |
| permeable | a material is full of tiny, connected air spaces that allow water to seep through it |
