Chapter 20 HW part 1

Minerals are made up of different elements and rocks are

A physical mixture of materials - minerals, fossils, fossil fragments, and/or organic matter

In an area of regional metamorphism if buried rock begins to melt it

Can become igneous rock

Before beach sand becomes rock it must be

Compacted, cemented, and lithified

A minerals physical properties are dependent on

Composition, structure, and bonding

As magma cools, the first minerals to crystallize are those with a

Low silica content

In the process of crystallization, the remaining magma becomes

More and more silica enriched

Minerals with the same chemical composition will

Not always have the same crystalline structure

Silicates are the most common rock forming minerals because

Oxygen and silicon are the two most abundant elements

The great variety of igneous rocks is due to

Partial melting and the step by step process of crystallization

Why is oxygen the most common element in Earth's crust, but not in Earth as a whole?

density segregation - dense elements sank to earths center, and lighter elements rose to the surface.