Rock Identification Lab

Name   _ ____________________________________       N umber:   _ ________   D ate:   _ ______________   P eriod:     _ _______  

Rock   I dentification   L ab   –   A NSWER   K EY  

Work   t hrough   t he   r ock   l ab   w ith   y our   g roup,   a nswering   a ll   q uestions   a nd   u sing   y our   r ock   s ample   k it   w hen   n eeded.  

1. In   y our   o wn   w ords,   d escribe   w hat   i s   m eant   b y   a   r ock’s   t exture.  

Texture   d etermines   t he   s ize,   s hape,   a nd   p osition   o f   t he   m inerals   w ithin   t he   r ocks.  

 

 

2. What   a re   t he   t hree   c lassifications   o f   r ocks?  

Sedimentary,   m etamorphic,   i gneous  

 

3. Look   a t   r ocks   5 ,   9 ,   a nd   1 2.   W hich   r ock   i s   a n   i gneous   r ock?   _ __________5________________  

How   c an   y ou   t ell?    

The   p ores   a re   g as   b ubbles   t hat   c an   o nly   b e   f ormed   w hen   a   r ock   i s   f ormed   f rom   a   l iquid,   c ooling   q uickly   s o   g asses   g et  

trapped   i nside  

 

 

4. What   d etermines   w hich   c ategory   a   r ock   w ill   b e   i n?  

How   i t   i s   f ormed  

 

5. How   a re   i gneous   r ocks   f ormed?   F ind   a n   e xample   o f   a n   i gneous   r ock:   _ __8_____.  

Cooling   a nd   c rystallization   o f   m agma  

 

6. How   a re   m etamorphic   r ocks   f ormed?   F ind   a n   e xample   o f   a   m etamorphic   r ock:   _ __9______.  

Heat   a nd   p ressure   o n   o ther   r ocks   –   c hange   i nto   a nother   r ock  

 

7. How   a re   s edimentary   r ocks   f ormed?   F ind   a n   e xample   o f   a   s edimentary   r ock:   _ __11____.  

Weathering   a nd   e rosion   b reak   d own   r ocks   a nd   m ove   t he   s ediment   u ntil   i t   i s   d eposited   t ogether.   T hey   a re   t hen  

compacted   a nd   c emented   t ogether.  

 

8. How   c an   y ou   c lassify   s edimentary   r ocks   ( 3   t ypes)?  

Clastic,   b ioclastic,   c hemical  

 

9.

Rocks   1 1,   1 2,   a nd   1 4   a re   a ll   e xamples   o f   s edimentary   r ocks.   I dentify   w hich   r ock   i s   w hich.  

11   -­‐   c lastic  

12   -­‐   c lastic  

14   -­‐   c hemical  

10. Look   a t   r ock   4 .   W hat   t ype   o f   r ock   m ight   t his   b e?   E xplain   w hy.  

Metamorphic   –   y ou   c an   s ee   t he   f oliation