Rock Cyce

On Monday we continued with rocks and began reviewing for the quiz on Tuesday. This quiz contains information on metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks. The basic information on the the rocks will be on the quiz but we will not have to identify any specific rocks. Instead on Friday we will have a lab practical where we will have to identify the most common rock types from each formation of rock. To study I used the quizlet on rock vocab. The terms that I often missed were pluton and stock. I would often mix these two up a lot but after a while I figured out how to remember them. One thing I need to improve on when studying for this test is understanding the difference between intrusive and extrusive rocks types and how to tell them apart.

On Tuesday we had our science quiz. For the most part it was challenging but I was able to use my common knowledge of rocks to work through the questions and come up with the best answer. One thing I will need to review for the test is labeling igneous rock formation below the Earth's surface. Some of the rock formations that I mixed up were stock and laccolith. Now I know that the difference between a stock and a lacolith is that a stock is a smaller version of a batholith and a lacolith pushes through the rock layer almost forming a new layer. After the quiz we worked on our sedimentary rock lab that we had started last week.

On Wednesday we got our quizzes back and I was happy to see that I did very well. We went over the commonly missed questions and had a basic overview of the entire quiz. After reviewing the quiz we worked on our sedimentary rocks. This rock lab was the most difficult for me because I did not have a clear understanding of the questions. Most of the questions were very complicated and revolved around the different processes of sedimentary rocks. After the lab we individually reviewed for the lab practical on Friday. The two rocks I usually mixed up were slate and shale. This is because they have similar colors and shale is the parent rock for slate.

On Thursday we continued with learning about rocks. We reviewed the processes of the rock cycle. In the rock cycle any type of rock can go through any of the rock formations. For example igneous rocks can change into sedimentary rocks through weathering and erosion. Weathering can break down rocks through natural proceseses such as acid rain and wind. Acid rain is an example of chemical weathering because the acid content in the rain can break down the minerals of rocks. After reviewing notes we worked on the textbook questions about the rock cycle. Most of the questions were review but some of the questions were about topics we discussed that day. We also had practicing on identifying the rocks for the lab practical on Friday.

On Friday we took our lab practical on rocks. One person went at a time and while we were waiting we studied for our upcoming test and worked on reviewing rocks. The lab practical was like  the practice one we reviewed in class but the rock samples were a lot different.  The color of the granite samples were very different I could not tell which rock it was at first. Most of the other rocks were similar in color but not in texture. After taking the practical I worked on my study guide for the test next Thursday.

Rocks and More

On Monday we continued with learning about rocks. We had previously started a new unit on them before Thanksgiving break but did a little reviewing before class just to make sure that we had a basic understanding. We then began to work on a new lab. This lab will help us learn more about different rock types and how to classify them. A big part in classifying rocks is by the way they are formed. Igneous rocks can be formed by two types of lava felsic or mafic magma. The difference between these two types is that one is more viscous than the other. One of the easiest texture to identify is the glassy rock texture. This rock has very sharp edges and is very shiny like glass. Another really cool rock type is pumice. This rock is very light and has many vesicles. Vesicles are holes that are forms in the rock because of pockets of gas that have formed inside the rocks. Due to all of these holes the rock is very light and can even float on water.

On Tuesday we continued with this lab and after finishing the lab I had a better understanding of intrusive and extrusive rocks. I also learned the slower the lava cools the larger the grains are. This is because they have more time to form. Fine grains are formed when lava is cooled quickly resulting in an extrusive rock.  To classify igneous rocks there are categories to help categorize them. Rocks can be classified by texture, color, intrusive, extrusive, minerals, and felsic of mafic. Lighter rocks have a lower density most of the time because they are very high in their silica content. Darker denser rocks, such as obsidian, are heavier because of their higher levels of iron.

On Wednesday we started to learn about metamorphic rocks. Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have been changed in some way from its original parent rock. For example bread changes into toast like metamorphic rock turns into a new form of rock. Metamorphic rocks can be categorized as foliated  or non-foliated. Foliated rocks have very distinct layers called bands. After notes we started a new lab on the classification of metamorphic rocks. This was like the igneous rock lab before although I did find naming the rocks a little easier in this lab.

On Thursday we reviewed notes mainly focusing on sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary rocks are formed from ground sediment that comes together over many years. Organic sedimentary rocks form from products from living organisms such as bones and shells. Chemical sedimentary rocks form from precipitates from water. After reviewing notes we started a new lab on sedimentary rocks. I have found sedimentary rocks to be harder to identify than igneous and metamorphic.

On Friday we continued with the sedimentary rock lab. I had a difficult time naming the rocks and that is something I need to improve on especially for the lab practical next week. We also have a quiz next Tuesday on everything we have learned so far with rocks. This lab helped me learn most of the basic concepts with rocks such as how each rock is classified.