Earth Science Final Flashcards
5 Properties of Minerals
The 5 properties of minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition. Naturally occurring is when a mineral occurs in the natural world. Inorganic means that it does not come from a living thing.
What are the tests you can perform to identify minerals?
The tests you can perform to identify minerals are color, texture, hardness, luster, and density. Color, alone, can’t be used to identify a mineral. For hardness, you use the Moh’s hardness scale. Luster is describing how light is affected by minerals. Density is mass divided by volume.
Igneous Rocks
It forms from the cooling of magma or lava. They are classified according to their origin, texture, and mineral composition.
Sedimentary Rocks
It forms when particles of other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together. It forms in layers that are below the surface.
Metamorphic Rocks
It forms when an existing rock is changed by heat, pressure, or chemical reactions. Most metamorphic rocks forms deep underground. Most sedimentary rocks are formed through a series of processes:
- weathering 2. erosion
- deposition 4. compaction
- cementation
What is the difference between lava and magma?
Lava is on top of the ground while magma is underground.
What is the difference between intrusive and extrusive rocks?
Extrusive rocks is igneous rock formed from lava that erupted onto Earth’s surface. Intrusive rocks are igneous rocks that formed when magma hardened beneath Earth’s surface.
What are the steps to form a sedimentary rock?
The first step is weathering which is the breaking down of rocks by wind or water. The second step is erosion which is when running water, wind, or ice loosen and carry away fragments of rock. The third step is deposition which is the process by which sediment settles out of the water or wind carrying it. The fourth step is compaction which is the process that presses sediments together. The fifth and final step is cementation which is the process in which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue particles of sediment together
What are the layers of the Earth?
The layers of the Earth are the crust, lithosphere, asthenosphere, lower mantle, outer core, and inner core.
Which layer of the Earth is responsible for our magnetic field?
The layer of the Earth that is responsible for our magnetic field is the core.
What are convection currents, how do they form,and where are they located within Earth’s interior?
A convection current is the flow that transfers heat within a liquid. They form from heat from the the core and mantle itself.
Why was Wegener’s theory of continental drift initially not accepted by others?
His theory was not accepted by others because he could not explain the force on how it happened! (I knew it by heart!!!!!)
