3.1.1

Rocks

Test yourself

Rocks

The Earth is a rocky planet. Rocky planets are made of rock.

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Rock

  • Rock is mostly a hard, solid, natural substance made of chemicals called minerals.
  • It is hot enough inside the Earth for rock to be a liquid (magma).
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Different types of rock

  • Rocks on earth come in different kinds and have different properties.
    • The word 'properties' means the things we can see or measure in a material.

Describing Rocks

You need to look at different properties when describing rocks. The word 'properties' means the things we can see or measure in a material.

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Texture

  • Is the rock smooth, rough, crumbly, knobbly, spiky?
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Appearance

  • Is the rock shiny, dull, mottled, striped, coloured, black?
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Hardness

  • You can test the hardness of a rock by trying to make a scratch on its surface.
  • Try to scratch one rock with another to see which is harder.
    • The softer rock is easier to scratch.
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Permeability

  • Permeable substances let water go into or through them.
    • A school sweatshirt is permeable (it lets water through).
    • A plastic raincoat is impermeable (it does NOT let water through).
  • Test the permeability of a rock by pouring water on to it.
    • Look to see if the water soaks in or runs off.
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Sorting rocks

  • You can sort rocks into different groups using their properties.
  • A table is a good way to record how you have sorted the rocks.

Jump to other topics

1Year 3: Plants

2Year 3: Animals (Including Humans)

3Year 3: Rocks

3.1Rocks on Earth

4Year 3: Light

5Year 3: Forces & Magnets

6Year 4: Living Things & Their Habitats

7Year 4: Animals, Including Humans

8Year 4: States of Matter

9Year 4: Sound

10Year 4: Electricity

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