01
True or false
1 point
True or false: Every rock must pass through the igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic stages in that order.
Free Practice Quiz Question List
3 Rocks and the Rock Cycle Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 3 Rocks and the Rock Cycle, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Choose one
1 point
Magma cools slowly beneath Earth's surface. Which rock and crystal-size outcome best fits these conditions?
- A
Basalt, because lava cools quickly at the surface
- B
Granite, because magma cools slowly underground
- C
Obsidian, because extremely rapid cooling prevents crystals from forming
- D
Sandstone, because sand-sized grains are compacted and cemented
03
Fill in the blank
1 point
The conversion of loose sediment into solid rock is called .
04
Written response
1 point
What metamorphic rock forms when shale is changed by heat and pressure?
05
Choose one
1 point
Minerals dissolved in a body of water precipitate as the water evaporates. Which rock-forming category does this process produce?
- A
A clastic rock, because loose grains are compacted and cemented
- B
A biologic rock, because organism remains accumulate
- C
A chemical rock, because dissolved minerals precipitate from water
- D
A metamorphic rock, because existing rock changes while solid
06
True or false
1 point
True or false: Metamorphism usually changes an existing rock while it remains solid.
- A
True
- B
False
07
Fill in the blank
1 point
Granite weathers into sand. If the sand is buried, compacted, and cemented, it can become .
08
Choose all
1 point
Select all correct statements about how sedimentary rock types form.
- A
Clastic rocks form when sediment is buried, compacted, and cemented.
- B
Chemical rocks form when dissolved minerals precipitate from water.
- C
Biologic rocks form from accumulated remains of organisms.
- D
All sedimentary rocks form only when existing rock melts and cools.
09
Written response
1 point
What is the name for metamorphism that occurs next to a hot body of igneous rock?
10
Choose one
1 point
A stream carries particles that formed when rock broke down. Which process describes the stream moving those particles?
- A
Weathering
- B
Erosion
- C
Deposition
- D
Cementation
11
Choose all
1 point
Select all changes that can occur to a rock during metamorphism.
- A
Minerals in the rock may recrystallize.
- B
New minerals may form.
- C
Pressure may align grains into layers or bands.
- D
The rock must melt completely before any metamorphic change occurs.
12
Open ended
1 point
Describe one complete path from granite to a new igneous rock using the rock-cycle example. Name the intermediate materials or rocks and the processes that transform them.
13
Choose one
1 point
What role can uplift play in the rock cycle?
- A
It turns loose sediment directly into magma.
- B
It compacts sediment and cements its grains.
- C
It can expose buried rock at the surface.
- D
It causes dissolved minerals to precipitate from water.
14
Choose one
1 point
A rock formed from magma that cooled slowly beneath Earth's surface. Which texture is most likely?
- A
Small crystals form because the magma cools quickly at the surface.
- B
Large crystals form because the magma cools slowly underground.
- C
No crystals form because cooling is extremely rapid.
- D
Mineral grains align in bands because pressure changes the rock.
15
True or false
1 point
A rock can become metamorphic through heat and pressure while remaining solid.
- A
True
- B
False
16
Written response
1 point
Loose sediment is buried, compacted, and cemented until it becomes solid rock. What is this conversion called?
17
Choose one
1 point
A body of water evaporates and leaves behind minerals that had been dissolved in it. What kind of rock-forming process does this describe?
- A
A clastic sedimentary rock formed from compacted fragments.
- B
A biologic sedimentary rock formed from accumulated organism remains.
- C
A chemical sedimentary rock formed as dissolved minerals precipitated.
- D
A metamorphic rock formed when existing minerals recrystallized.
18
Choose one
1 point
A stream carries rock particles and then slows, allowing the particles to settle on its bed. Which process is taking place as they settle?
- A
Deposition
- B
Erosion
- C
Weathering
- D
Uplift
19
Written response
1 point
What is metamorphism called when it occurs next to a hot body of igneous rock?
20
Choose one
1 point
Sandstone is buried and undergoes metamorphism. Which rock could it become?
- A
Granite
- B
Basalt
- C
Slate
- D
Quartzite