Rock
INTRODUCTION Rock is a natural substance, a solid aggregate of one or more minerals . For example, granite , a common rock, is a combination of the minerals quartz , feldspar and biotite . The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere , is made of rock. Botin, J.A. (2009). Rocks are composed of grains of minerals, which are homogeneous solids formed from a chemical compound arranged in an orderly manner. The aggregate minerals forming the rock are held together by chemical bonds . The types and abundance of minerals in a rock are determined by the manner in which it was formed. Many rocks contain silica (SiO 2 ); a compound of silicon and oxygen that forms 74.3% of the Earth's crust . This material forms crystals with other compounds in the rock. The proportion of silica in rocks and minerals is a major factor in determining their names and properties. Rocks are classified according to characteristics such as mineral and chemical composition, permeabilit