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You probably see rocks and even minerals almost every day. But what do you really know about them? Do you know how many minerals there are on planet Earth?

Did you know that there are three types of rocks, and they are all formed in different ways by nature?

Do you know some of the really cool ways rocks have helped people throughout history? Keep reading to find out!

What is a mineral?

All minerals are solid, naturally forming, and have their own unique chemical composition. This is what makes each mineral special and different from other minerals.

Minerals also have a crystalline structure, meaning their atoms are arranged in specific shapes and patterns.

Think you don't know any minerals? You probably do, actually. Some common minerals are gold, silver, diamond, and copper. But that's not all. There are over 4000 minerals on the planet!

What is a rock?

Just like minerals, rocks are solid and naturally forming. In fact, all rocks are made from two or more minerals. There are three different types of rocks, and all three form in different ways.

3 Different Types of Rock: Igneous rocks, Sedimentary rocks, and Metamorphic rocks

Igneous rocks

Igneous rocks are created when magma cools and hardens. Magma is the same material that forms lava (that really hot stuff that explodes out of volcanoes).

There are two types of igneous rock: extrusive igneous rock and intrusive igneous rock, and the type depends on where the rock was formed.

If the rock is formed by cooled, hardened magma on the surface of the Earth, it is called extrusive igneous rock.

Because volcanoes help form extrusive igneous rocks, they are sometimes called volcanic rocks. These rocks form very fast and usually look glassy or shiny. Some examples are basalt, obsidian, and pumice.

As you might have guessed from the name, intrusive igneous rock forms inside of the Earth, below its surface.

When magma cools and hardens beneath the surface, it is a much longer process, so intrusive igneous rocks are usually grainy and rough.

Granite and gabbro are examples of intrusive igneous rock.

Scientists have identified over 700 varieties of igneous rock. That's a lot of rocks, and we still have two types left to learn about!

Sedimentary rocks

Sedimentary rocks form from the build-up of materials like the remains of plants or animals, minerals, and eroded fragments (pieces) of other rocks. Fossils are most often found in sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary rocks are often found at the bottom of lakes or oceans. These rocks form in layers called strata, which can sometimes be seen on the side of cliffs.

Examples of sedimentary rocks are chalk, coal, and sandstone.

Metamorphic rock

Metamorphic rocks start out as igneous or sedimentary rocks, but then they are transformed by extreme pressure or heat.

They can be formed from tectonic plates (pieces of the Earth's crust) colliding and creating friction, from pressure under Earth's surface, or from really hot magma.

Marble is a type of metamorphic rock that started out as a sedimentary rock called sandstone. Another type of metamorphic rock is gneiss, which often begins as the igneous rock granite.

Why are rocks and minerals important?

For millions of years, rocks and minerals have been very useful to humans.

Throughout history, rocks like jade were used to make tools and weapons like knives, hammers, axes, and hooks for catching fish.

Before humans had matches, rocks were used to create different tools meant for starting fires.

Minerals and rocks are found in batteries, soap, paper, detergent, toothpaste, makeup, sports equipment, and more.

Rocks are used in all kinds of construction like ships, cars, planes, buildings, and appliances. Some types of rocks like granite are used to make statues, countertops, and gravestones.

Imagine if we didn't have any of the products listed above. Wow! Where would we be without rocks and minerals?

Facts about rocks and minerals

Of the over 4000 minerals on planet Earth, only about 30 of them can be commonly found in Earth's crust.

There are seven different physical properties or characteristics used to identify and label minerals: crystal form, hardness, fracture or cleavage, luster, color, streak, and density.

95% of the Earth's crust is made of igneous rock.

It is estimated that the average person on the planet Earth will use over one million pounds of rocks, minerals, and metals in a lifetime.

The biggest nugget of pure gold was found in Australia in 1869. It weighed 156 pounds, as much as an adult human!

Next time you see a rock or mineral, think about all of these fascinating facts. Rocks are a lot more interesting than you thought!
Earth Science

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Rocks and Minerals (Types, Difference, Facts, etc)

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You probably see rocks and even minerals almost every day. But what do you really know about them? Do you know how many minerals there are on planet Earth? Did you know that there are three types of rocks, and they are all formed in different ways by nature?

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Get information about what a rock is from the DK Find Out website for kids. Improve your knowledge of types of rocks and learn more with DK Find Out.

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Erosion breaks down rocks into small pieces known as sediment. This sediment is carried away by wind or water. The sediment eventually lands somewhere as sand or mud. Over time, new sediment piles on top of the old. The older layers become compressed and hard. In time, the sediment turns to rock.

Sedimentary rock is rock that is made up of minerals, sand, mud, and even the remains of living things. It is often softer than other types of rock.

Fun Facts about Sedimentary Rocks for Kids

Sandstone is made from grains of sand that have melded together over time, or lithified.

Sedimentary rock often contains fossils of plants and animals millions of years old. The mudstone cliffs along the southern coast of England have many fossils from the time of the dinosaurs.

Limestone is often made from the fossilized remains of ocean life that died millions of years ago. The White Cliffs of Dover in England are made from the shells and remains of trillions of tiny animals that died more than 65 million years ago.

Clay is a sedimentary material made from bits of weathered rock that have combined with water.

Conglomerate rocks contain round river rocks surrounded by hardened sand or another type of sediment.

In swampy areas, plants die but they do not decay. Instead, they turn into peat. When the peat is compressed over millions of years, it becomes coal.

Sedimentary Rocks Vocabulary

1. Sediment: debris of weathered rocks and minerals, as well as dead plants and animals

2. Compress: when something is pressed to become dense and compact

3. Lithify: to change sediment to stone

Learn All about Sedimentary Rocks

Check out this cool video about sedimentary rocks for kids:

A clay animation explaining the formation and characteristics of sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary Rocks Q&A

Question: Where can I find sedimentary rock?

Answer: Sedimentary rock is everywhere, but is especially common along cliffs. The rock probably sat underneath an ocean or lake at one time.

Enjoyed the Easy Earth Science for Kids Website all about Sedimentary Rocks info? Take the FREE & fun Sedimentary Rocks quiz and download FREE Sedimentary Rocks worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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Erosion breaks down rocks into small pieces known as sediment. This sediment is carried away by wind or water. The sediment eventually lands somewhere as sand or mud. Over time, new sediment piles on top of the old. The older layers become compressed and hard. In time, the sediment turns to rock.

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Have you ever heard of the word metamorphosis? Well if not it means that something changes or transforms into something else. This is how metamorphic got its name as it always starts as a different type of rock, like sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks or even other types of metamorphic rock.

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Science- Rocks-3rd Grade Flashcards | Quizlet

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Start studying Science- Rocks-3rd Grade. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.

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Here's kitchen chemistry that turns a solution of sugar and water into a tasty treat.
Have we got a sweet treat for you! Here is some really awesome kitchen chemistry that turns a solution of sugar and water into a tasty candy. Read on to learn how to make rock candy and how to use sugar crystals to make a treat that is not only super sweet, it's cool to look at, too.
Science is often referred to as the most fun subject in school. (That's because, duh, it is!) Not only is it fun, it can also be delicious. With this rock candy recipe, you'll be jumping "string-first" into some serious chemistry that's cavorting about incognito as, believe it or not, a candy! You'll learn about and apply scientific principles and ideas like solutes, solvents, viscosity, sedimentation, solutions and supersaturated solutions. Huh? That sounds anything BUT tasty. Hang in there and trust us - check it out!

Experiment Materials

Cane sugar (You'll have great results with Imperial Sugar or Dixie Crystals.)

Water

Large glass container (microwave-safe)

Smaller glass jar

Measuring cups

Heavy stirring spoon

Pencil

Food coloring

String (new preferred)

Scissors

Wax paper (or parchment)

Adult supervision

Experiment

An adult must help with this Step! You need to give the water some help with all that sugar so warm up the water. If the container is microwave-safe, put the solution in the oven and heat it for two minutes on high. (You can use a cooktop to heat the solution if you prefer.) Heat the solution to the boiling point.

CAUTION: An adult must handle the hot solution and move it to a stable, heat-safe location. Use the heavy spoon to thoroughly stir the solution again. Make sure all the sugar is stirred but watch out for splatters of hot liquid. Notice how the solution is changing by just using heat.

An adult must help with this Step! Move the stirred solution to the microwave (or cooktop) again and heat it on high for another two minutes. Don't let the solution boil over.

CAUTION: An adult must handle the hot solution and move it to a stable, heat-safe location. Use the spoon to carefully stir the hot solution again. Stir gently because the solution is less viscous (more runny) than before you heated it.

As it cools, the solution becomes more viscous so it might be a trick to push the dried string into it again. You may have to use a slow steady pressure to get it to sink deeply into the solution. You'll need to allow the string to soak in the solution for a week, too. A paper towel over the container will keep dust and goobers away from your candy - uh, your science experiment. Keep track of changes in the solution and the growing crystals in the solution but don't disturb them by moving them. Pictures are a good idea!

When you're ready for the big reveal, lift the pencil and pull the string loaded with crystals out of the jar. Lay them on some wax paper and look closely at what grew on the string. Of course, a taste test will have to be a part of your analysis.

How Does It Work

At first glance, making rock candy may seem like a snooze fest. You've followed the rock candy recipe and have just dipped a piece of string into a solution of sugar and water. It all seems pretty uneventful; in fact, it is a little bit like watching wet paint dry. But wait; look again! How in the world did it turn into a beautiful crystal of candy on a string?

The Science Behind Sugar Crystals
When you mixed the sugar with the water and then heated and stirred the solution repeatedly, you created what is called a "supersaturated solution." This means there are far more dissolved particles of solute (the sugar) than the solvent (the water) can normally dissolve and hold at a given temperature. By stirring the sugar in hot water (instead of room temperature or cold water), the sugar is dissolved faster in the fast-moving (heated) water molecules. As the water cools, the huge amount of sugar particles remains in solution (a supersaturated solution); it now contains more sugar than can stay in the liquid. The sugar falls out of the solution as a "precipitate" (particles). These connect with other sugar particles; in turn, a crystal begins to grow.

Crystallized Sugar and Seed Crystals
When you dried some crystals onto the string ahead of time, you gave the suspended sugar particles a great place to begin crystallizing. These are "seed" crystals. As sugar particles (the precipitate) begin to settle, they join and quickly form more crystals with the other sugar molecules. You see this crystallization on both the bottom and the sides of the jar - as well as on the string. Until you pull it out of the solution and enjoy the candy, these sugar molecules will continue to settle and crystalize both on the string and on top of other sugar molecules, creating rock candy.

Rock Candy Experiment
Did you know that chemistry happens each and every day in kitchens all over the world? Not only does it occur when you learn how to make rock candy, chemical reactions occur each and every time you cook a meal, bake a cake or heat up water for tea. Food science is a fun way to learn more about chemistry. Bonus: You can also often eat the materials! Check out our other food science experiments that use easy-to-find items in your kitchen to create some amazing stuff. Also, check out our science fair project ideas, physics products and chemistry kits and products for all-in-one fun with that WOW factor that Steve Spangler Science is known for!

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Homemade Rock Candy Recipe & Science Experiment

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Here's kitchen chemistry that turns a solution of sugar and water into a tasty treat. Have we got a sweet treat for you! Here is some really awesome kitchen chemistry that turns a solution of sugar and water into a tasty candy.

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https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/ks3/gsl/education/resources/rockcycle/page3458.html

https://www.minerals.net/MineralImages/A.aspx

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Home " Rocks

Rocks: Igneous, Metamorphic and Sedimentary

Rocks hold the history of the earth and the materials that will be used to build its future.

Igneous Rocks: Photos, descriptions and facts about intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks.

Metamorphic Rocks: Photos, descriptions and facts about foliated and non-foliated metamorphic rocks.

Sedimentary Rocks: Photos and facts about clastic, chemical and organic sedimentary rocks.

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Rocks: Igneous, Metamorphic and Sedimentary

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Photographs and information for a large collection of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Geology.com