| Term | Definition |
| erosion | running water or wind loosen and carry away fragments of rock |
| deposition | sediment settles out of the water or wind carring |
| compaction | process that presses sediments together (takes millions of years) |
| cementation | process in which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue sediments together |
| clastic group | fragments squeezed together |
| organic rocks | forms when plants and animals are deposited in thick layers |
| chemical rocks | minerals that are dissolved in a solution crystallize |
| uses of sedimentary rock | buildings (white House) |