Rocks and Minerals Flashcards

Grade 4 · Science · Flashcards

Study key vocabulary for rock types, formation processes, and mineral properties.

Flashcards

Rock: A solid material made of one or more minerals
Mineral: A naturally occurring, non-living solid with a definite chemical composition
Igneous rock: Rock formed from cooled magma or lava (granite, basalt, obsidian)
Sedimentary rock: Rock formed from compressed layers of sediment (sandstone, limestone, shale)
Metamorphic rock: Rock changed by heat and pressure underground (marble, slate, quartzite)
Magma: Molten rock found beneath Earth's surface
Lava: Magma that reaches Earth's surface through a volcano
Sediment: Small pieces of rock, sand, or shell deposited by water or wind
Mohs scale: Scale from 1-10 measuring a mineral's hardness; diamond = 10, talc = 1
Luster: How a mineral reflects light — metallic or non-metallic
Streak: The color of a mineral's powder when scratched on a white tile
Fossil: The preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms found in sedimentary rock