Rocks and Minerals

To know the differences or to compare rocks and minerals we have first to know what each one means.

ROCKS: In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.
The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.

IGNEOUS Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

METAMORPHIC is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form".

SEDIMENTARY is a type of rock that is formed by sedimentation of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water.

MINERALS: 1. A naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic solid substance having a definite chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure, color, and hardness.

DIFFERENCES:

CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS AND ROCKS

Minerals.

pure (made of same substance)

more than one mineral

some have crystals

not single crystals

usually pretty

not usually as pretty

usually have a shape

no definite shape

color is usually the same

color is not the same

no fossils

ROCKS

more than one mineral

some have crystals

not single crystals

usually pretty

not usually as pretty

usually have a shape

no definite shape

color is usually the same

color is not the same

no fossils

some have fossils