Sedimentary Rocks
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Printed: December 11, 2013
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C ONCEPT
Concept 1. Sedimentary Rocks
1
Sedimentary Rocks
Lesson 4.3: True or False
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.
_____ 1. Sandstone is very porous so water can move easily through it.
_____ 2. Sedimentary rocks may contain fossils.
_____ 3. Avalanches produce horizontal layers of sediments.
_____ 4. Particles of silt are smaller than particles of clay.
_____ 5. Fossils are always the remains of bones or teeth.
_____ 6. Sediments are pieces of rock.
_____ 7. Sediments on a beach may include cobbles and pebbles.
_____ 8. All sedimentary rocks form from sediments.
_____ 9. Shale may contain hardened mud.
_____ 10. Limestone is a chemical sedimentary rock.
Lesson 4.3: Critical Reading
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Read this passage based on the text and answer the questions that follow.
How Sedimentary Rocks Form
Sedimentary rocks form in two ways. Particles of sediment may be compacted and cemented together, or chemicals
may precipitate out of water.
Sedimentary rocks that form when sediments are compacted and cemented together are called clastic sedimentary
rocks. First, the sediments are compacted as they are squeezed together by the weight of all the sediments that have
been deposited on top of them. Then, the sediments are cemented together, as minerals fill in the spaces between
sediment particles. The cementing minerals come from water that moves through the sediments. Clastic sedimentary
rocks are grouped by the size of the sediments they contain. Conglomerate and breccia are made of individual stones
that have been cemented together. In conglomerate, the stones are rounded. In breccia, the stones are angular.
Sandstone is made of sand. Siltstone is made of silt particles, which are smaller than sand but larger than clay. Shale
consists of the smallest sediments. It is made mostly of clay and hardened mud.
Sedimentary rocks that form when chemicals precipitate out of water are called chemical sedimentary rocks. Halite,
also called rock salt, forms in this way. You can make halite by simply leaving a shallow dish of salt water out in the
sun. As the water evaporates, salt crystals form in the bottom of the dish. Gypsum is another example of a chemical
sedimentary rock.
Questions
1
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1.
2.
3.
4.
Name two ways that sedimentary rocks can form.
Describe how clastic sedimentary rocks form.
Compare and contrast conglomerate and shale.
Explain how chemical sedimentary rocks form, and give two examples.
Lesson 4.3: Multiple Choice
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Circle the letter of the correct choice.
1. Types of sediments that may make up sedimentary rocks include
a.
b.
c.
d.
pebbles.
silt.
clay.
all of the above
2. A river deposits sediments when the water
a.
b.
c.
d.
slows down.
enters a lake.
reaches the ocean.
all of the above
3. Which of the following sedimentary rocks contains the smallest sediments?
a.
b.
c.
d.
conglomerate
sandstone
siltstone
shale
4. Which of the following rocks is not a clastic sedimentary rock?
a.
b.
c.
d.
limestone
breccia
halite
two of the above
5. The White House in Washington, D.C., is made of
a.
b.
c.
d.
clastic rock.
sedimentary rock.
sandstone.
all of the above
6. When sediments settle out of water, they form
a.
b.
c.
d.
chemical rocks.
horizontal layers.
precipitates.
none of the above
7. Which sedimentary rock is formed of rounded stones that have been cemented together?
a.
b.
c.
d.
2
breccia
sandstone
conglomerate
limestone
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Concept 1. Sedimentary Rocks
Lesson 4.3: Matching
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Match each definition with the correct term.
Definitions
_____ 1. type of sedimentary rock that forms when crystals precipitate out of liquid
_____ 2. squeezed together by upper layers of sediments
_____ 3. type of sedimentary rock that forms when rock fragments are compacted and cemented together
_____ 4. preserved material left behind by a once-living organism
_____ 5. stuck together by minerals that fill in spaces between sediments
_____ 6. example of a clastic sedimentary rock
_____ 7. example of a chemical sedimentary rock
Terms
a. cemented
b. clastic sedimentary rock
c. compacted
d. sandstone
e. rock salt
f. fossil
g. chemical sedimentary rock
Lesson 4.3: Fill in the Blank
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Most sedimentary rocks form from __________.
Each layer of sedimentary rock is __________ than the layer below it.
A beach or desert collects large deposits of sediments known as __________.
Minerals that cement together sediments in clastic rock come from __________.
__________ sedimentary rocks are classified by the size of the sediments they contain.
Gypsum is an example of a(n) __________ sedimentary rock.
Coal is an example of a(n) __________ sedimentary rock.
Lesson 4.3: Critical Writing
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Thoroughly answer the question below. Use appropriate academic vocabulary and clear and complete sentences.
3
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Contrast clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks.
4