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mineral a naturally formed, inorganic solid with a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition streak the color of a mineral in powdered form Mohs hardness scale scale ranking 10 minerals from softest to hardest; used in testing the hardness of minerals fracture the tendency of a mineral to break along curved or irregular surfaces density the amount of mass in a given space; mass per unit volume cleavage the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces luster the way the surface of a mineral reflects light rock a solid mixture of crystals of one or more minerals or other materials rock cycle the process by which one rock type changes into another rock type magma the hot liquid that forms when rock partially or completely melts, located inside the Earth lava magma that flows onto the Earth's surface texture the sizes, shapes, and positions of the grains that a rock is made of igneous rock rock that forms from the cooling of magma or lava sedimentary rock rock that forms when sediments are compacted and cemented together metamorphic rock rock that forms when the texture and composition of preexisting rock changes due to heat and/or pressure intrusive the type of igneous rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies beneath the Earth's surface extrusive the type of igneous rock that forms when lava cools and solidifies on the Earth's surface foliated the texture of metamorphic rock in which the mineral grains are aligned like the pages of a book fossil any naturally preserved evidence of life weathering wind, water, ice, sunlight, and gravity all cause rock to break into fragments crystal a solid in which the atoms are arranged in a pattern that repeats again and again inorganic not formed from living things or the remains of living things nonfoliated texture of metamorphic rock in which mineral grains show no alignment sediment small solid pieces of material that come from rocks or organisms erosion the destructive process in which water or wind loosen and carry away fragments of rocks deposition the process by which sediment settles out of the water or wind that is carrying it compaction the process by which sediments are pressed together under their own weight cementation the process by which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue particles of sediment together into one mass clastic rock Sedimentary rock that forms when rock fragments are squeezed together under high pressure organic rock Sedimentary rock that forms from remains of organisms deposited in thick layers chemical rock Sedimentary rock that forms when minerals crystallize from a solution