Rocks and the Rock Cycle Quiz

Grade 5 · Science · Quiz

Test your knowledge of the three rock types and the processes that drive the rock cycle.

Questions

1. What is magma called after it reaches Earth's surface?

   1. Sediment
   2. Lava
   3. Granite
   4. Basalt
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   Answer: Lava

   Magma is molten rock underground; it becomes lava the moment it erupts at Earth's surface.

2. Granite is an igneous rock that forms when magma cools slowly underground.

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   Answer: True

   Granite cools slowly miles underground, allowing large mineral crystals to grow — which is why granite has a speckled, coarse-grained appearance.

3. Layers of rock in sedimentary formations are called ___.

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   Answer: strata

   Strata (singular: stratum) are the visible layers in sedimentary rock. Geologists read them like pages of Earth's history.

4. Which process can turn sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock?

   1. Cooling and hardening
   2. Deposition of sediment
   3. Heat and pressure
   4. Erosion by wind
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   Answer: Heat and pressure

   Metamorphic rocks form when existing rocks are exposed to intense heat and pressure deep in Earth's crust, causing minerals to recrystallize.

5. Basalt forms when lava cools very slowly deep underground.

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   Answer: False

   Basalt forms when lava cools QUICKLY on Earth's surface, leaving little time for crystals to grow. That's why basalt has a fine-grained, dark texture.

6. What type of rock is slate?

   1. Igneous
   2. Sedimentary
   3. Metamorphic
   4. Mineral
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   Answer: Metamorphic

   Slate is metamorphic shale — shale (a sedimentary rock) transformed by low-grade heat and pressure into the fine-grained, layered slate used in roofing and chalkboards.

7. ___ rocks are the only type where fossils are commonly found.

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   Answer: Sedimentary

   Fossils form when organisms are buried in sediment before decomposing. The heat and pressure that create metamorphic rock, and the melting that creates igneous rock, both destroy fossils.

8. What is the first step in forming sedimentary rock?

   1. Melting
   2. Metamorphism
   3. Deposition of sediment
   4. Volcanic eruption
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   Answer: Deposition of sediment

   Sedimentary rock formation: weathering → erosion → transportation → deposition → compaction → cementation.

9. The rock cycle is driven by heat from Earth's interior and energy from the Sun.

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   Answer: True

   Earth's internal heat drives metamorphism and melting; solar energy drives weathering, erosion, and the water cycle that transports sediments.

10. Which pair correctly matches a rock to its type?

    1. Marble — sedimentary
    2. Limestone — igneous
    3. Sandstone — sedimentary
    4. Granite — metamorphic
    Show answer

    Answer: Sandstone — sedimentary

    Sandstone is a classic sedimentary rock formed from compressed sand grains. Marble is metamorphic, limestone is sedimentary, and granite is igneous.

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