R3RocksMinerals_F23

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University of Pennsylvania *

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MISC

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Geology

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Recitation #3 – Rocks and Minerals EESC 1000 Fall ‘23 Today’s recitation will focus on rocks and minerals. It is not a graded assignment, instead, its purpose is to help you prepare for the next exam, to learn how to “see”, and how to take detailed notes on unknown materials. These skills are very important to a geologist. Most importantly – have fun this class. Working with cool rocks and minerals is why many geologists decided to do what they do. Write down what you see! Make observations. Start with minerals (6) or rocks (8) – separate them in two groups. Why did you create the groups that you did? We created the groups based on minerals and rocks. We identified five minerals and five rocks from the tray and separated them by comparing them to the five properties of minerals and determine whether the rocks fit all of the characteristics. We think minerals have a more definite, sharp shape and overall have less colors compared to the rocks. Separate the rocks into igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Why did you choose the groups the way you did? We separated the rocks based on a lot of different properties. We distinguished the metamorphic rocks by examining whether the rock exhibits layering in its structure and whether it has a banded light or dark color. We also tried to tap the rocks to hear what they sound like. We identified the igneous rocks through the interlocking texture of the grains and examined the holes in igneous rocks. Igneous rocks are also darker and heavier. Then, we identified the sedimentary rocks by examining whether there are fossils in the rocks, and comparing the weight to see if the sedimentary rocks are light weighted. Identify the basalt and the granite, and the gabbro – describe each in detail. Put in an image of each. Why are some igneous rocks fine grained and some coarse grained?

Recitation #3 – Rocks and Minerals EESC 1000 Fall ‘23 From left to right, we have basalt, granite, and gabbro. Basalt has bubbles and holes on the surface. It is lighter compared to the other two rocks. Granite is relatively medium to coarse grained. It looks like a combination of a lot of different rocks but have a relatively flatter and curved surface. Gabbro is also a combination of the different rocks, but the surface is not flat, with the grains sticking out and you can clearly feel the bumpy texture. Group the minerals based on the properties that are most striking to you. Why did you choose the groups that you did? I grouped the minerals based on the colors and whether they reflected light. I grouped the minerals that are shiny under the light and seems to be glowing together. This group’s minerals are also extremely thin and follow a sheet like structure. I grouped the lighter color minerals together that are more heavy weight and seem to follow a crystalline structure. I grouped the igneous rocks together based on their similar properties – rock composition. I then grouped the rest of the rocks based on their texture. Do you see any of the minerals in any of the rocks? Focus on the granite and the schist. The two rocks that are shiny under the light seems to be minerals, following this sheet structure and reflecting light. The other two rocks that are much lighter in color and heavier also exhibit mineral properties. The granite seems to also have some shiny features within, developing layers where sheets minerals could exist, such as glassy quartz and feldspar. The schist doesn’t seem to contain any minerals as the texture is very rough and it is clearly a layering of rocks. Rotate around the other trays – can you see differences in the same minerals and rocks across the trays? What is different between them? What property changes the most?

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