Properties of Rocks

• Order of their durability (how easily worn away they are) – sandstone,
limestone, marble, slate, chalk, granite
• Depends on rocks chosen but possible sequence:
 The different properties of rocks mean that
they can be used for different things.
• Rock that let water through them called Permeable
• They have pores large enough to allow water molecules to
pass through them. Permeable rocks are usually soft and
break easily.
• Rocks that do not let water through them are called
impermeable.
NAME OF ROCKS

1. Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock. It is a
rock made of compacted sand. Sand is
small grains of rocks and minerals

Sandstone which is resistant to weathering is

used for building in many countries. It can be a
hard rock. For example, paving slabs can be
made out of hard sandstone.
 SANDSTONE
Inside Lower Antelope Canyon,
Sandstone Rock-cut tombs (Kokh) in Petra (Jordan) Arab
featuring red sandstone corridors.
NAME OF ROCKS

2. Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms
when limestone is subjected to the heat
and pressure of metamorphism.

Marble is usually a light-colored rock. When it

is formed from a limestone with very few
impurities, it will be white in color.
 MARBLE

The Taj Mahal is entirely clad in marble. Carlo Franzoni's sculptural marble Marble Products

Jadwiga of Poland's sarcophagus

by Antoni Madeyski, Wawel
Cathedral
NAME OF ROCKS

3. Limestone
• Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily
of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the
mineral calcite. It most commonly forms in clear,
warm, shallow marine waters.
• Limestone is hard enough to resist weathering but
usually soft enough to be worked (cut and carved)
by stonemasons. It is used for building material.
Limestone, particularly Portland limestone, became
popular in the 19th and 20th centuries for building
things such as churches, banks and houses.
However, acid rain does slowly erode limestone.

• Limestone is used to make glass and cement.

NAME OF ROCKS

Varieties of Limestone
• There are many different names used for limestone. These names are based
upon how the rock formed, its appearance or its composition, and other
factors. Here are some of the more commonly used varieties.

• Chalk:
• A soft limestone with a very fine texture
that is usually white or light gray in color.
It is formed mainly from the calcareous
shell remains of microscopic marine
organisms numerous types of marine
algae.
 LIMESTONE

Limestone rocks Riley County Courthouse built of The Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the
limestone in Manhattan, Kansas, USA Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
has an outside cover made entirely
from limestone.
NAME OF ROCKS

4. Granite
• Granite is a kind of igneous rock. It is formed from
hot, magma. Its colour ranges from pink to grey,
according to the proportions of its minerals.

• Granite is dense, and can be cut, carved and

shaped. It is resistant to water and pollution, and
has a range of different colours.

• Kitchen benches are often made of polished A granite peak at Huangshan, China
granite. Granite is found in many countries of the
world. Some countries have beautifully patterned
granite which is quarried (cut in open mines) and
sold for building material.
NAME OF ROCKS

3. Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms
when limestone is subjected to the heat
and pressure of metamorphism.

Marble is usually a light-colored rock. When it

is formed from a limestone with very few
impurities, it will be white in color.
GRANITE
 Igneous Rock
• Igneous rock forms when hot lava cools
and hardens. This can happen in many
different places on Earth, but one of the
most common places is at a volcano.
• Some igneous rocks are smooth and
others are rough, depending on where
they are made. Igneous rock can be all
sorts of colors and textures.
• Some igneous rocks are dull and boring,
but others are beautiful! Granite is a very common igneous rock.
• The rock shown is called granite. You
may have seen statues or monuments
made of granite because it so strong.
Rocks that come from volcanoes :

• Obsidian

• Basalt

• Pumice
 Sedimentary Rock
• Sedimentary rock is made differently
than igneous rock.Instead of lava
cooling, sedimentary rock is made when
sand or other small pieces get stuck
together.
• When pieces of sand get stuck together
it forms a rock called sandstone, which
you can see in the picture.
• Pieces of sand start to pile on to each
other and get stuck together when they
Sandstone is a common type of sedimentary rock.
are mixed with some water.
• It's basically like the pieces of sand get
glued together!
 Metamorphic Rock
• Sometimes sedimentary and igneous rocks
are subjected to pressures so intense or
heat so high that they are completely
changed. They become metamorphic
rocks, which form while deeply buried
within the Earth's crust.
• Metamorphic rocks are often made from
other types of rock. For example, shale, a
sedimentary rock, can be changed, or
metamorphosed, into a metamorphic rock
Gneiss Metamorphic Rock
such as slate or gneiss. Other examples of
metamorphic rocks include marble,
anthracite, soapstone, and schist.
Rocks
• Rocks and stones are naturally occurring solids made up of minerals.
• The Earth's crust is made up of rock.
• Rocks have been used by humans for millions of years, from early tools and weapons through to various construction materials.
• There are three different types of rocks based on the way they form, igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.
• When magma cools and solidifies it forms igneous rock.
• Examples of igneous rocks include granite, basalt, gabbro, obsidian and pumice. More igneous rock facts.
• Sediment deposited over time, often as layers at the bottom of lakes and oceans, forms sedimentary rocks.
• Examples of sedimentary rocks include sandstone, mudstone, flint, greywacke and chalk. More sedimentary rock facts.
• Extreme pressure and heat over time forms metamorphic rocks.
• Examples of metamorphic rocks include marble, quartzite, schist, granulite and slate. More metamorphic rock facts.

• The metamorphic rock marble is formed from the sedimentary rock limestone.
• The metamorphic rock granulite is formed from the igneous rock basalt.