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Classifying Rocks and the Rock Cycle

Rocks are not fixed forever. In this GCSE Geography quiz you will explore how rocks form, break down, and change type through the rock cycle.

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Fascinating Fact:

The rock cycle describes how rocks can change from one type to another through weathering, erosion, transport, deposition, burial, melting, and cooling.

In GCSE Geography, pupils learn how different rock types are classified and linked to real places. You will explore how rock characteristics influence soils, slopes, building materials, and landforms such as cliffs, scree slopes, and upland plateaus, helping you explain why landscapes look and behave differently.

Key Terms

Rock cycle: A diagram geographers use to show how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks are connected by processes inside the Earth and at its surface.
Igneous rock: Rock formed when molten magma or lava cools and solidifies, for example basalt from lava flows or granite from deeper intrusive bodies.
Sedimentary rock: Rock made when layers of sediment are compacted and cemented together, such as sandstone, limestone, or shale, often showing visible bedding planes.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is the rock cycle in GCSE Geography?

In GCSE Geography, the rock cycle is a simplified model that links igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It shows how each type forms and how rock material moves through the system over time.

What are the three main rock types in the rock cycle?

The three main rock types are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Igneous rocks form from cooling magma, sedimentary rocks from compacted sediments, and metamorphic rocks from existing rocks changed by heat and pressure.

How does the rock cycle affect landscapes?

The rock cycle affects landscapes by creating hard and soft rocks that weather and erode at different rates. This helps explain features such as steep cliffs, rolling hills, escarpments, and rocky uplands.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Sedimentary rocks are formed ...

in volcanoes

deep under mountain ranges

on the sea bed

on the side of a mountain

They can also be formed on the beds of lakes or other places where the flow of water is very slow and there are even sedimentary rocks that have formed from sand in deserts!

2 .

Rocks that are formed from lava are called ...

intrusive igneous rocks

extrusive igneous rocks

magma

metamorphosed sedimentary rocks

Extrusive rocks are formed at the surface of the Earth

3 .

Which of the following is a property of a metamorphic rock?

Porous

Soft and easily eroded

Formed because of enormously high temperature and pressure

Made by the action of flowing water

They are usually very resistant to weathering and erosion

4 .

Which of the following describes weathering?

The breaking down of rocks where they are found

The breaking down of rocks during transport

Rain falling on a piece of rock

A rock dissolving in acid

The last two alternatives could be a part of weathering, the full description is the first answer

5 .

Which type of rock can become an igneous rock?

Igneous

Metamorphic

Sedimentary

Any

Any rock, if it is melted and then solidified, becomes an igneous rock

6 .

How are metamorphic rocks formed?

By melting other rocks

By heating and compressing other rocks

By cooling other rocks

By dissolving other rocks

Some metamorphic rocks are formed mainly by the pressure caused by being deeply buried. Others are formed mainly by the heat from nearby molten magma and some are formed equally from the heat and pressure of being buried deep in the Earth

7 .

Rocks that are made from small particles formed by weathering and erosion are ...

igneous rocks

sedimentary rocks

metamorphic rocks

mud

Weathering and erosion is a constant but very slow process

8 .

Which of the following statements about the rock cycle is not true?

All rocks can undergo weathering and erosion to form sedimentary rocks

Igneous rocks are formed when other rocks are melted and then solidified

Metamorphic rocks are formed by heat and pressure

Metamorphic rocks are the end product of the rock cycle

Any rock can be changed into any other type of rock during the rock cycle

9 .

Magma is ...

solid rock

liquid rock

gaseous rock

a mixture of all three rock types

Some students confuse magma and lava. Lava is a word used to describe magma that has flowed out onto the surface of the Earth

10 .

Where do metamorphic rocks form?

Under mountain ranges

On the beds of seas and lakes

At the sea shore

In volcanic craters at the surface of the Earth

The temperatures and pressures needed to make most metamorphic rocks are only found where plates are colliding. The greatest pressures and temperatures are found under mountain ranges but there are exceptions to this, e.g. marble can be formed well away from plate boundaries

Author: Kev Woodward (PGCE, Science & Chemistry Teacher, Quiz Writer)