What are the three main classes of rock?
Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
List four processes that change rock from one type to another.
Melting; cooling and crystallization; weathering and erosion; and heat and pressure.
How is a metamorphic rock formed?
A metamorphic rock forms when an existing rock is changed by heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids without completely melting.
Describe the process by which metamorphic rock can become sedimentary rock.
Uplift exposes the metamorphic rock at the surface, where weathering and erosion break it into sediments. The sediments are deposited, compacted, and cemented to form sedimentary rock.
Uplift and weathering are two of the processes that shape the features of the Earth. How are they different and how are they similar?
Uplift is the movement of rock upward by tectonic forces, while weathering is the breaking down of rock by water, wind, ice, temperature changes, or organisms. Both change Earth's surface and help shape landforms.
What are some ways that people have utilized rocks?
People use rocks to build houses, roads, bridges, and monuments; make tools and decorations; produce cement and concrete; and obtain minerals, metals, and fossil fuels.
What is the difference between composition and texture?
Composition is the type and amount of minerals and chemicals in a rock, while texture is the size, shape, and arrangement of its grains or crystals.
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