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Free Practice Quiz Question List

03 Rocks and the Rock Cycle Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 03 Rocks and the Rock Cycle, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions
01
True or false
1 point

True or false: The large visible crystals in granite are evidence that the molten rock cooled slowly underground.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

02
Choose one
1 point

A geologist identifies a rock as basalt and observes that it has fine grains. Which formation history best fits this evidence?

  1. A

    It cooled slowly underground.

  2. B

    It cooled rapidly at or near the surface.

  3. C

    It formed when sediment was compacted and cemented.

  4. D

    It changed under pressure without melting.

03
Fill in the blank
1 point

The processes of compaction and cementation together are called .

04
Written response
1 point

What is molten rock called after it reaches Earth’s surface?

05
Choose one
1 point

Shale is buried and compressed, and it becomes slate without melting. Which process best explains this change?

  1. A

    Weathering and erosion

  2. B

    Cooling and crystallization

  3. C

    Heat and pressure without complete melting

  4. D

    Compaction and cementation of sand

06
Choose all
1 point

Which are direct ways sedimentary rocks form? Select all that apply.

  1. A

    Accumulated fragments of older rocks

  2. B

    Magma cooling and solidifying

  3. C

    Dissolved substances precipitating from water

  4. D

    Accumulated remains of organisms

07
True or false
1 point

True or false: If a metamorphic rock melts, it remains metamorphic rock.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

08
Fill in the blank
1 point

When directed pressure aligns minerals in a metamorphic rock and creates a layered or banded texture, that texture is called .

09
Choose one
1 point

Which situation is an example of contact metamorphism?

  1. A

    A rock is buried and compressed far from any heat source.

  2. B

    Sediment is deposited and later cemented.

  3. C

    Nearby magma heats and changes surrounding rock.

  4. D

    Lava cools rapidly at Earth’s surface.

10
Written response
1 point

What is the geologic term for the layers in which sedimentary rocks commonly form?

11
Choose all
1 point

A geologist examines a sedimentary rock. Select all statements that correctly describe what its features may reveal.

  1. A

    Grain size and composition can reveal what was deposited and how.

  2. B

    Every sedimentary rock formed in the same environment.

  3. C

    Layers can provide evidence of deposition.

  4. D

    Fossils can provide evidence of past life.

12
Open ended
1 point

Describe one possible pathway by which an igneous rock could become metamorphic rock and later become sedimentary rock. Include the processes involved at each stage.

13
Choose one
1 point

Which statement best describes how a rock’s path through the rock cycle can vary?

  1. A

    Every rock must pass through magma, igneous rock, sediment, sedimentary rock, and metamorphic rock in that order.

  2. B

    A rock may follow different routes, and processes can repeat.

  3. C

    Only sedimentary rock can change into another rock type.

  4. D

    Uplift always changes rock directly into magma.

14
True or false
1 point

True or false: For the rock cycle to be complete, every rock must pass through magma, igneous rock, sediment, sedimentary rock, and metamorphic rock in that order.

  1. A

    True

  2. B

    False

15
Choose one
1 point

Buried sediment becomes solid rock as grains are pressed together and then bound together. Which pair of processes produces this change?

  1. A

    Weathering and erosion

  2. B

    Compaction and cementation

  3. C

    Melting and crystallization

  4. D

    Heat and directed pressure

16
Choose one
1 point

A geologist observes large, visible crystals in a granite sample. Which formation condition does this texture best indicate?

  1. A

    It cooled rapidly at Earth’s surface.

  2. B

    It formed from accumulated biological remains.

  3. C

    It cooled slowly underground.

  4. D

    It was altered by directed pressure without melting.

17
Written response
1 point

What is molten rock called while it is still underground?

18
Choose one
1 point

A sample of sandstone consists of sand-sized fragments of older rocks. How should the sandstone be classified by the material it contains?

  1. A

    Clastic sedimentary rock

  2. B

    Chemical sedimentary rock

  3. C

    Biologic sedimentary rock

  4. D

    Metamorphic rock

19
Choose one
1 point

Magma intrudes underground and heats the rock around it, changing that rock without completely melting it. Which process is taking place?

  1. A

    Lithification

  2. B

    Extrusive cooling

  3. C

    Chemical precipitation

  4. D

    Contact metamorphism

20
Written response
1 point

What is the name of the layered or banded texture that can form when minerals align under directed pressure?