cementationMinerals growing between grains and gluing them together. The minerals come out of the water that moves through the sediment.
compactionThe squeezing of sediment by the weight of layers above. Compaction closes the spaces between the grains.
depositionThe dropping and piling up of carried sediment. Deposition adds sediment to a landform.
erosionThe carrying off of worn rock and soil to a new place. Erosion may move a grain of sand a few millimeters or thousands of kilometers.
igneous rockRock made when magma or lava turns solid. Granite and basalt are igneous rocks.
lavaMagma once it has flowed out onto the surface. Lava that cools and hardens becomes igneous rock.
magmaLiquid rock that has not yet reached the surface. Magma may also hold crystals and bubbles of gas.
metamorphic rockRock whose minerals were remade while it stayed solid. Any type of rock can be turned into a metamorphic rock.
rock cycleThe slow change of rock from one main type to another. In the rock cycle, any of the three rock types can become another.
sedimentGrains of worn rock that settle after being carried. Beach sand is sediment.
sedimentary rockRock built up from layers of sediment that hardened. Sandstone, limestone and shale are sedimentary rocks.
weatheringThe slow wearing down of rock by water, air and life. Water does the most weathering.
Show all 36 terms (24 more)
How rocks change 12
crustThe rocky outside layer of the Earth, where we live. Sedimentary rocks are only a thin cover over the rest of the crust.
crystallizationThe forming of crystals, as when magma cools. Slow cooling gives the mineral grains a long time to grow large.
extrusive rockRock that formed when erupted lava cooled quickly. In extrusive rock there is little time for crystals to grow.
foliationSheet-like layering made as a rock is squeezed. Foliation is seen in metamorphic rocks. The word comes from the Latin for leaf.
fossilRemains or imprints of plants and animals of long ago. Bones, shells and imprints in stone can all be fossils.
intrusive rockIgneous rock that hardened from magma below ground. Granite is a common intrusive rock.
lithificationThe hardening of buried sediment into rock. Lithification works by compaction and cementation.
mantleThe zone of the Earth's interior just beneath the crust. The mantle lies above the core.
meltingBecoming liquid as the temperature rises high enough. Melting deep inside the Earth turns rock into magma.
metamorphismA change in a rock's minerals or texture without melting. High heat and high pressure deep in the Earth cause metamorphism.
stratumA single sheet in a stack of rock layers; plural strata. Sedimentary rocks often show strata.
upliftThe slow raising of a region of the Earth's crust. Tectonic uplift is caused by the movement of the Earth's plates.
Rocks and minerals 12
cleavageA mineral's habit of splitting along smooth flat planes. A crystal splits along the planes where its bonds are weakest.
crystalMatter whose atoms are stacked in a strict repeating grid. A grain of table salt is a crystal.
densityHow heavy a material is for its size. Density is mass divided by volume.
fractureAn uneven or curved break, not along a flat plane. All minerals show fracture.
gemstoneA piece of mineral made into a jewel by cutting. A gemstone is also called a gem, a jewel or a precious stone.
hardnessA mineral's ability to stand up to scratching. A harder mineral can scratch a softer one.
lusterHow shiny or dull a mineral looks in the light. The word luster comes from the Latin for light.
mineralAn inorganic substance from nature with a set composition. Quartz, feldspar, mica and calcite are common minerals.
Mohs scaleA ten-step ranking of minerals from softest to hardest. The Mohs scale was introduced in 1812.
oreRock that is mined for the valuable material inside it. Many ores are mined for the metals they contain.
rockA hard natural material formed of mineral grains. Granite, basalt, limestone and sandstone are common rocks.
streakThe color a mineral shows once it is ground to powder. The streak of a mineral often varies less than the color of the mineral itself.
How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-09. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day against the English Wikipedia article on the term (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: Rock cycle, Igneous rock, Sedimentary rock, Metamorphic rock, Magma, Lava, Sediment, Weathering, Erosion, Deposition (geology), Compaction (geology), Cementation (geology), Melting, Crystallization, Intrusive rock, Extrusive rock, Lithification, Metamorphism, Tectonic uplift, Foliation (geology), Stratum, Fossil, Crust (geology), Mantle (geology), Mineral, Crystal, Lustre (mineralogy), Streak (mineralogy), Mohs scale (hardness), Cleavage (crystal), Fracture (mineralogy), Ore, Gemstone, Rock (geology) and Density. The three rock types, intrusive and extrusive rock, mineral and rock were checked a second time against four answers of the U.S. Geological Survey: What are igneous rocks? (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-igneous-rocks), What are sedimentary rocks? (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-sedimentary-rocks), What are metamorphic rocks? (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-metamorphic-rocks) and What is the difference between a rock and a mineral? (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-difference-between-rock-and-mineral). The other terms were checked a second time against the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), under the same license. The example after each meaning is our own. Licence: own work
How it works
This rock cycle vocabulary worksheet matches twelve terms, from magma and lava to compaction and cementation, to their meanings, with an answer key. Two more sets of twelve are How rocks change and Rocks and minerals.
Read the full guide
The rock cycle, then how rocks change
Set opens on The rock cycle. How rocks change has melting, crystallization, intrusive rock, extrusive rock, lithification, metamorphism, uplift, foliation, stratum, fossil, crust and mantle.
A rocks and minerals vocabulary worksheet
Rocks and minerals prints the words for telling minerals apart: mineral, crystal, luster, streak, hardness, cleavage, fracture, Mohs scale, ore, gemstone, rock and density. The three sets together are 36 terms for a middle school or 7th grade science unit on rocks.
Granite, basalt, sandstone and the other rock names are in the examples under the tool, not on the sheet.
Questions and answers
What are the three types of rock in the rock cycle?
Igneous rock forms when magma or lava cools and turns solid. Sedimentary rock forms from sediment that is compacted and cemented. Metamorphic rock is existing rock changed by heat and pressure without melting.
What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Weathering breaks rock down through contact with water, air and living things. Erosion removes the broken rock and soil and carries it to another place, where it is deposited.
What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic substance with a set chemical composition and an orderly inner structure, such as quartz. A rock is a mass of one or more minerals, such as granite.
How do I save the rock cycle vocabulary worksheet as a PDF?
Press Print worksheet. In the print window of your browser, choose Save as PDF as the printer. The file holds the worksheet and, as its last page, the answer key.