Sedimentary Rocks Worksheet
Assess each of your sedimentary rock samples and make your notes on this worksheet. Note in this lab you will need to use your hand lens to get a better look at grain size, the glass plate to test for hardness, and the plastic dropper bottle to drop a small amount
of vinegar on each sample to find the limestone. Make sure that every box on your worksheet is completed. Color Texture (Describe grain size or
indicate no grains visible)
Can
sample
scratch
glass?
(Y/N)
Does
Sample
react to
weak acid?
(Y/N)
Type: (Clastic, Chemical
or Biochemical)
Describe environment where
this rock formed
Rock Name
1
Gray
Fine-grained No
No
Clastic
Shale forms in depositional
environments, including
mudflats, lake bottoms,
river deltas, and deep
marine settings.
shale
2
Gray, or white
Individual sand grains
visible to the naked eye
Yes
No
Clastic
Sandstone forms in
depositional environments,
including beaches, deserts,
rivers, and dunes.
Sandstone
3
Gray, brown
Coarse-grained Yes
No
Clastic
forms in high-energy
environments such as river
channels, alluvial fans.
Conglomerate
4
Gray
Fine-grained to coarse-
grained texture
No
Yes
Chemical Limestone forms in marine
settings such as reefs,
shallow coastal areas, and
lagoons.
Limestone
5
Colorless or
white
Fine-grained to
granular
No
Yes
Chemical forms in evaporitic
environments such as salt
flats, playa lakes, and
coastal lagoons.
Gypsum
6
Gray
Microcrystalline or
cryptocrystalline
texture
Yes
No
Chemical forms in shallow seas,
continental shelves.
Chert
GLY1010L - Physical Geology Lab- Updated Sedimentary Rock Lab Worksheet
